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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Fraud email example:

From: universalstakes1@tiscali.it
Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2004 09:40:18 -0800
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION!!

UNIVERSAL SWEEP STAKES
MARTINS 602,
CY-1II9 CE4,
CAYMAN ISLAND.

FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF: UML/00700123/12 BATCH: 12/0009/SPM/BPN
RE / AWARD NOTIFICATION; FINAL NOTICE

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 21st OCTOBER 2004,
of winners of the promotional UNIVERSAL SWEEP STAKES LOTTERY PROGRAMS held
on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2004 as part of our yearly bonanza. Your email address
attached
to ticket number 011-1122-2004-007, with serial number 2004-04 drew the
lucky
numbers 02-03-14-35-31, and consequently won the lottery in the 2nd category.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of EUROS$1,200,000.00
( One Million, two Hundred Thousand Euros only) in cash credited to file
REFNO.UML/00700123/12. This is from total prize money of 18,000,000.00million
Euros, shared among the fifteen international winners in this category.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Please be inform that all participants in this Lottery Programme have been
selected randomly through a computer Ballot System drawn from over 200,000
Companies and 30,000,000 individual email address from all search engines
and web sites. This promotional programme takes place every five year.
Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award
strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your
money remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to
avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program.

To begin your claim, please contact your claims agents,( the body assigned
with the verification of any emergent winner). Therefore all protocols laid
down by them must be followed to facilitate your claims:
CONTACT AGENTS
EMAIL:infowinnings@netscape.net
info-winning@excite.com


For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account
of your choice. Remember, you must contact your claim agent not later than
30th DECEMBER, 2004. After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed.
NOTE:
In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember
to Quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your correspondences
with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of your address,
do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.
Congratulations!!
Sincerely,
ANDRIAN HANSEY (MRS)
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
UNIVERSAL SWEEP STAKES.


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