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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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.

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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)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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 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.
  • kesterbrown208@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Kester Brown" <kester@kesterbrown.com>
Reply-To: kesterbrown208@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 12:29:46 +0000
Subject: YOU HAVE WON

Dear Sir/Madam,


We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners
International programs held on the 22nd of March, 2005. Your e-mail
address attached to ticket number 27522465896-6453 with serial number
3772-554 drew lucky numbers 7-14-18-31-45 which consequently won in
the second category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum
pay out of 500,000 usd (Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) Only.


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 via an online banking prosedure that
will be established by you. This is part of our security protocol to
avoid double claiming, unecessary delay and unwarranted abuse of this
program by some participants. All participants were selected through
a computer ballot system drawn from over 30,000,000 individual email
addresses and 20,000,000 cooperate email address names from all over
the world. This promotional program takes place every three years.
This lottery was promoted and ponsored by eminent personalities like
Mr. Bill Gates and the Sultan of Brunei, we hope with part of your
winnings you will take part in our next years 50 million Dollars
international lottery.


To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agents: Mr,
Kester Brown of GLOBAL FUNDS MANAGEMENT, NIGERIA

Email :(kesterbrown208@yahoo.com) Remember, all
winnings must be claimed not later than 30th of October, 2005. After
this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake.


To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, remember to quote your
reference numbers in all correspondence to our fiduciary agents.
Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, please do
inform our agents 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.

Sincerely yours,

Carla Morris (Co-ordinator)
GLOBAL STAKES LOTTERY/INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

YOU HAVE WON

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam