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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: amarulalotteries@netscape.net
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 08:57:51 -0800
Subject: ATTENTION WINNER!!!!

AMARULA LOTTERIES SWEEPSTAKE PROMOTION.
56 GRAYSTONE DRIVE, RANDBURG 2001, SOUTH AFRICA.
TEL+27 83 36 00 597
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF: LP/26510460037/02 BATCH: 24/00319/IPD
AWARD NOTIFICATION FINAL NOTICE.
WE ARE PLEASE TO INFORM YOU OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WINNERS OF
AMARULA LOTTERIES SWEEPSTAKES/INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS HELD ON 31st
JANUARY.2005.YOUR CONTACT IS ATTACHED TO THE TICKET NUMBER
004-05117963-198, WITH SERIAL NUMBER 99375 DREW THE LUCKY NUMBERS
01-15-37-38-48-49 AND CONSEQUENTLY WON THE LOTTERY IN CATEGORY 1B.
YOU HAVE BEEN THEREFORE APPROVED THE SUM OF $ 2,500,000.00(TWO
MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS)CREDITED TO THE FILE NUMBER:
LP/2656043/ES/104 THIS IS FROM THE TOTAL PRICE MONEY OF
$31.472.765.00 SHARED AMONG THE TWENTY THREE LOCAL AND
INTERNATIONAL WINNERS IN ALL CATEGORIES. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE
SELECTED THROUGH COMPUTER BALOTTING SYSTEM DRAWN FROM 45,000.00
NAMES FROM AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, AFRICA, EUROPE,AMERICA AND ASIA
AS PART OF OUR INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION PROGRAM WHICH IS CONDUCTED
EVERY TWO YEARS.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
YOUR FUND IS NOW INSURED TO YOUR CONTACT. DUE TO THE COMPUTER
MIX-UP OF SOME NUMBERS AND CONTACTS, WE ASK YOU TO KEEP THIS AWARD
STRICTLY FROM PUBLIC NOTICE UNTILL YOUR CLAIM HAS BEING PROCESSED
AND YOUR MONEY REMITTED TO YOUR NOMINATED ACCOUNT.THIS IS PART OF
OUR SECURITY ADVICE TO AVOID DOUBLE CLAIMING OR UNSCRUPULOUS ACTS
BY THE PARTICIPANTS OF THIS PROGRAM. YOU ARE TO CONTACT THE
UNDERSIGNED OFFICE FOR THE CLAIMING OF YOUR AWARD PRICE:
MR PRESTON AKIA(FORIEGN CLAIMS MANAGER)
AMARULA LOTTERIES INT.L
EMAIL:amarulanotify@yahoo.com
TEL+27 83 36 00 597

SINCE ALL WE HAVE NOW IS THE WINNING TICKET NUMBER AND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WHICH
WAS ATTACHED TO THE WINNING TICKET NUMBER.FOR DUE PROCESSING AND REMITTANCE OF YOUR
AWARD PRICE, YOU ARE TO REPLY THIS MAIL STATING YOUR NUMBERS. DO
NOTE THAT ALL PRICE MUST BE CLAIM NOT LATER THAN 21st MARCH . 2005.
AFTER THIS DATE, ALL FUNDS WILL BE RETURNED AS UNCLAIMED TO THE
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
NOTE: IN ORDER TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DELAY AND COMPLICATIONS,PLEASE
QUOTE YOUR REFERENCE AND BATCH NUMBERS IN EVERY OF YOUR
CORESPONDENCE. YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED IF YOU ARE BELOW 18 YEARS OF AGE.
FURTHERMORE,SHOULD THERE BE ANY CHANGE OF YOUR
ADDRESS DO INFORM THIS OFFICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. CONGRATULATIONS
AGAIN FROM ALL OUR STAFF.
SINCERELY
JEFFERSON WILLIAMS
SEND ALL YOUR REPLIES TO CLAIM THE AWARD TO THIS OFFICE:
amarulanotify@yahoo.com
YOU ARE TO SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING DETAILS
1.FULL NAMES AS IT APPEARS IN YOUR IDENTITY DOCUMENTS
2.RESIDENTIAL/ POSTAL ADDRESS
3.TEL/FAX NUMBERS
4.BRIEF DISCRIPTION OF YOUR SELF/OCCUPATION

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