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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

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

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +34652567815 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "EURO MILLION INTERNATIONAL" <euromillioninternational5@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 04 Oct 2005 15:09:57 +0000
Subject: EURO MILLONES LOTTERY

FROM THE DESK OF VICE PRESIDENT
EURO MILLONES LOTTERY
MADRID - SPAIN
www.loteria.com

REF NO :MGMT/1770/5800/EUES
BATCH NO:WTWU/3030/INSD

RE: WINNING NOTIFICATION

We happily announce to you that you are a winner of the draw (#946) of the
EURO MILLONES LOTTERY, online Sweepstakes International program held on 10th
of July, 2005 due to the mixture of names and email address it was release
on the 3rd September,2005.


Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 245-242-065with Serial number
255-189-279 drew the lucky numbers:06-19-25-39-44, which subsequently won
you the lottery in the 1st Category.
Your email have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
US$450,000:00(Four Hundred And Fifty Thousand United States Dollars Only) in
cash deposited with High Insurance Policy to its real value and credited to
file UMP/TM5343.

This is from a total cash prize of US$4,500,000:00 (Four Million Five
Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only)shared amongst the (10) lucky
winners in this category.All participants for the online version were
selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and
extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that
are listed online.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet
representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon. In view of
this, US$450,000:00(Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States
DollarsOnly) would be released to you by our paying bank.

To begin the processing of your claim, you are required to contact the
appointed attorney below with your Full Name, Home& Office Address, Home and
Office Tel & Fax Number, Mobile Phone Number.

BARRISTER BRUNO ZANI
E-mail:advobrunozani@walla.com
Tel:+34 652 567 815

The appointed attorney will immediately commence the process to facilitate
the release of your funds as soon as you contact him. For security
reasons,you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till
your claims is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner
you

Be informed in accordance with the European Union Financial Act 2002, all
your winning documents covering your winning prize money must be legalise in
the Ministry of Justice here in Spain before the bank will effect payment of
your wining prize.

This is in accordance with the European Union Financial Commission on
payment of International Lottery Program

Once again congratulations!!!


Yours faithfully,

Mrs. Emmanuela Samarino
Online coordinator for
EURO MILLONES LOTTERY


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam