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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:
  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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• 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 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.
  • sweeptakeinternational@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "winning notification" <europeanunion2@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 01:13:36 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION

Euro Sweepstake International.
Monomark House.
12, Bridge Street,
Staines Middlesex,
London,
TW18 4TP.
United Kingdom.
 
ATTN:Dear Sir/Madam,

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners
International program held on the 30th of september, 2005. Your e-mail
address
attached to ticket number: ES-23133 with serial number: ES-123542,
batch
number: 12/25/0304, lottery reference number: ESI/491OXI/04 and drew
lucky
numbers 7-1-8-36-4-22 which consequently won in the 1st category,
therefore,
you have been approved for a lump sum pay of 2,037,190.76 EURO.
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 lottery was promoted and sponsored by a group of successful
electronic
dealers.We hope with part of your winning,you will take part in our
next
year's 15,942,669.39 EUR International Lottery.
To file for your claim, please contact our paying officer:
Contact Person: Randy Smith (Lottery Director)
Phone: 0044 7031918366
Email: sweeptakeinternational@yahoo.co.uk
Remember, all winning must be claimed not later than 15th 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 reference number and batch numbers in all
correspondence.
Furthermore, should there be any change of address 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,
Linda Johnson. 
 

IMPORTANT NOTICE:   This message is intended only for the addressee and
may contain confidential, privileged information.  If you are not the
intended recipient, you may not use, copy or disclose any information
contained in the message.  If you have received this message in error,
please notify the sender by reply e-mail and delete the message.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam