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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.

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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!

Fraud email example:

From: "euro afircalottery" <euroafirclottery@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2005 00:25:57 +0000
Subject: NOTIFICATION

FROM: THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
REF NO: EGS/2551256003/02
BATCH NO: 14/0017/IPD
RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION FINAL NOTICE,ALL WINNERS INFORMATION.
We are pleased to inform you, that as a result of our RECENT LOTTERY
DRAWSHELD on the 1st of May 2005.Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number:11 23 34 38 48 49 46 750 with serial number:2113 ? 05 drew
luckynumbers:13 15 ? 22 ? 37 39 which consequently won in the 2nd category.
youhave therefore been approved for a lump sum pay of US$715,810.00
(SEVENHUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED AND TEN US DOLLARS
ONLY)Notethat
All participants in this lottery program have been selected randomly through
a computer ballot system drawn from over 20,000 companies and 30,000,000
individual email addresses from all search engines and web sites.This
promotional program takes place every year,and is promoted and sponsored by
eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei, Bill Gates of microsoft inc
and other corporate organisations.This is to encourage the use of the
internet and computers worldwide. For security purpose and clarity,we advise
that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims have
been processed and your money remitted to you .This is part of our security
protocol to avoid double claims andunwarranted abuse of this program by some
participants.We look forward to your active participation in our next 4
million euro\'s slot. You are requested to contact your clearance/cliam
agent ANDREAS BECKMANN , Foreign Operations Manager,I-T SECURITY AND
FINANCING GMBH BERLIN GERMANY ON contact him with this
Email:(itfinancinng@msn.com) for processing and remittance of your prize
money to a designated account of your choice All winnings must be claimed
not later than one month After the date of this notice. Please note,in order
to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,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 and thank you for being part of our promotional
program.
Sincerely,
MRS. Silvia Raul.
VICE PRESIDENT.
INTL LOTERIA PRIMITIVA

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam