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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• 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.
  • +2348059405369 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • popstar_inter@popstar.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Frank Cuco" <frankcuco4@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: frank_303@myway.com
Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2005 10:34:15 -0700
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!

Popstar Lotto international Promotions Lagos Nigeria
From: The Director of Promotions
Tel: +234-8059405369
E-mail: popstar_inter@popstar.com


AWARD NOTIFICATION.

Hello,

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today of winners of the
POPSTAR LOTTO/INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number 013-2316-2004-477, with serial number A025-09 drew the lucky numbers
37-13-34-85-56-42, and consequently won in category C.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$1,500,000.00
in cash credited to file REF NO. VLI/67-B773524441.This is from total prize
money of US$22,500,000.00 shared among the fifteen (15) international
winners.

All participating e-mail addresses were selected through a computer ballot
system drawn from 300,000.00 e-mail addresses from Australia, NewZealand,
S/America, Asia, Europe, U.S.A and N/America as part of our International Pr
omotions Program, which is conducted annually in which your e-mail address
won in category C. CONGRATULATIONS!

Your fund is now deposited with a payment centre and insured. Due to the mix
up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from
public notice until your claim has been processed and you claim your winning
successfully.

You must Claim your winning sum not later than 25th OCTOBER 2005 after this
date all funds will be returned as unclaimed.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference number in every one of your mails to us.

All we want from you are as follows:

(1) Your name.
(2) Your telephone and fax numbers.
(3) Your contact address.
(4) Your age.


Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform your
claims officer as soon as possible.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank yo u for being part of
our promotions program.

We expect your reply so as to proceed further.

Sincerely,

Mr. Frank Cuco

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam