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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: "WORLDWIDE ECOWASLOTTO" <worldwideecowaslot@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 10:47:39 +0000
Subject: RE:CONGRATULATIONS

FROM: THE PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
WORLDWIDE ECOWAS LOTTO ORGANIZATION ,WEST AFRICA

Dear winner

RE:CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations Category A prize winner! You have been selected as one of
two winners of the worldwide Ecowas Lotto, West Africa computer ballot
draws and thus will be a privileged recipient of the grand draw prize of US$
7,500,000,.00 (Seven million five hundred thousand United States Dollars
only). Winning File Reference number for your prize is WWPL/ECOWAS/
61-812087; ticket number 003-214-39/A.

We in the Worldwide ECOWAS Lotto Organization, WEST AFRICA is by this
program,launching our model computer balloting lottery draws,developed and
designed to satisfy the cravings of the ever
growing number of participants in our various lottery programs. With funds
accrued exclusively from previous draws, payouts to all winners are
guaranteed and will be transferred in record time.

After randomly selecting 15,000 participants from an initial database of
300,000 emails and zoning all participants by their respective continents
from across the globe, we produced an extensive list from which you have
emerged as one of the winners of the Grand Draw prize.

To ensure a smooth collection of your winnings, the transfer of your prize
is to be handled by our paying officer in one of the branches of our bank
the ECOWAS BANK,WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE ECO BANK.You are to contact our paying
officer mr BABS JONES,ECO BANK by email:bbjones_ecobankplc@walla.com or fax
within a week of receiving this notice. Please find full contact details
below:

Mr. BABS JONES
LOTTO DEPT
ECO BANK
HEAD QUARTERS
LAGOS NIGERIA

Email:bbjones_ecobankplc@walla.com

Also find all other relevant winning lottery information below:

Draw Serial No: 35/751346
Batch No: 06-A852
Zonal Draw No: A2-003
Grand Draw No: 12099
Winners Certficate No:E021453

You are seriously advised to keep all winning lottery information and
numbers from the public in line with our company security protocol to avoid
double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by unscrupulous
individuals.

Please direct all further correspondences and queries to your respective
category Prize Transfer handlers.

Congratulations once again from the Worldwide Premier
Lotto family.


Sincerely,

M/s Hellen Walter.
ECOWAS


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