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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
• 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!
• 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.
  • +447031902372 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • willia@excite.com

Fraud email example:

From: "PRIME FOUNDATION" <prime@primefoundationresult.org>
Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2005 17:35:41 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS..

FROM:
 
THE DIRECTOR,
PRIME FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
EMAIL-LOTTERY/SWEEPSTAKES DEPT.,
REF: PF3/930018/05
BATCH: 2/163/PF.
 
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners in
our
International Email-Lottery program held on the 25/9/2005.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: PF-643133/45
with serial number: PF-219542,and drew lucky numbers 7-1-8-36-4-22
which consequently won in the 2nd category, you have therefore been
approved for a lump sum pay out of 500,000.00 pounds (Five Hundred
Thousand Pounds).
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your
winning information confidential until your claims has been processed
and
your money Remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to
avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some
participants. All participants were selected through a computer ballot
system
drawn from over 40,000 company and 20,000,000 individual email
addresses and names from all over the world.
This promotional program takes place every year. This Email-lottery was
promoted and sponsored by a group of successful electronic dealers,
headed by Sir David Swanson(The founder of the foundation).
To file for your claim, please contact our paying officer:
Contact Person:
Mrs. Nicole Walker
(Lottery Correspondent)
Email: samantha-willia@excite.com
Remember, all winning must be claimed not later than 25th Of October
2005. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next
stake.
Please note in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications
please remember to quote your ticket number and serial numbers in all
correspondence.
Furthermore, should there be any change of addresses do inform our
agent as soon as possible.
Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for
being part of our promotional program.
Note:
Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Donald Stevenson
(Zonal Coordinator/Director)
TEL: +4470-3190-2372

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam