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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was sent to thousands of people)
• 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.
  • gordonbanks2004@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "E-MAIL LOTTERY BALLOT INTERNATIONAL/ WORLD GAMING BOARD." <susanmaltby00@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: gordonbanks2004@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2005 11:55:43 +0200
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!


E-MAIL LOTTERY BALLOT INTERNATIONAL/ WORLD GAMING BOARD.
RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION, FINAL NOTICE
Dear Beneficiary,
This is to inform you of the release of the E-MAIL LOTTERY .
Your name attached to ticket number 219028657434 with Serial number 918735625 drew the lucky numbers of 05-16-23-30-41,
which consequently won the lottery in the 1st category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payment of
800,000.00euros only, which is deposited with the BANCO UNICAJA of Madrid-Spain Clearing house in your favor as beneficiary and
covered with HIGH INSURANCE POLICY (I.B.P). It is important that keep your winning confidential to avoid people garnering
your information and subsequently making claim with your winning paraphernalia information’s, lucky day lottery
international will decline payment if such irregularity occurs.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from only Microsoft users from over 20,000.00
companies and 3,000,000.00 individual email addresses and names from all over the world. To begin your lottery claim,
please contact our agent below that have been appointed for the processing of your claim with your contact telephone
and fax number to begin the processing of your payment.
ELIGIBILITY:
This promotion is offered only electronically via the Internet and is open to all persons from age 18 years and above with a valid email address and who live in any of the aforementioned countries. This promotion is void in all other countries and is also void where prohibited.
Principals and employees of Lucky day Lottery Promos and its respective Parents, subsidiaries and their immediate families are not eligible.
CLAIMS PROCEDURES:
It is our standard practice to allocate accredited agents for the processing of claims application. It is even more imperative foroverseas winners. To begin your claims therefore, you are advised as a matter of urgency, to contact the under listed licensed and accredited claims agent for the processing of your prize awards winning. Please contact the clearing house (through your claims agent only) the body assigned with the verification of all emergent winner. Therefore all protocols laid down by them must be followed to facilitate your claims;
Again part of our Job is to locate and inform you of your winnings, educate you on how to claim your winnings and in your case to find out why you have not claimed your winnings so we can officially close your file.
Secondly, it is also important you know the Law regarding the Fair
personal collection of cash prize; international Law requires that a
winner pays a processing / clearance fee before the funds are
released
The Law also prevents you from paying with your personal money but
from the winning money, congratulation Again. Remember, all prize
money must be claimed not later than 2nd Dec. 2005, after this
date all fund will be returned to the MINISTRIO DE ECONOMIA Y
HACIENDA as unclaimed.
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every
correspondence .
CONTACT NAME: Mr Gordon Robert Banks.
CITY/ COUNTRY: Madrid Spain.
FAX: +34.650.380.285
EMAIL: agent : gordonbanks2004@yahoo.com
NOTICE...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam