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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
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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.

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)
  • "claim 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 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.
  • +34669413328 (Spain, 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.
  • elministriosp@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mrs Blessing Callos <elgordo@lotto.com>
Reply-To: elministriosp@netscape.net
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 19:36:33 +0200
Subject: Price Notification


FROM THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER
EL GORDO NACIONAL LOTERIAS SP
CALLE ALBERTO 1-5A
MADRID BRANCH, SPAIN.
REFERENCE NUMBER: EGNL/417331247/05
BATCH NUMBER: 27/50685/MMH

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

RESULTS FOR CATEGORY "C" DRAWS

Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice, the results of the Category" C" draws of EL GORDO National Loterías Sp. We are happy to inform you that you have emerged a winner under the Third Category, which is part of our promotional draws. The draws were held on the 14th October 2005 and results were officially announced today 17th October Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 4,000,000 names/email addresses of individuals and companies from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and New Zealand as part of our International Promotions Program.

You/Your Company, attached to ticket number 369-485-876/675-30, with serial number 70-23 drew the lucky numbers 29,41, 58, 75,99 (01), and consequently won in the Category "C". You have therefore been awarded a lump sum pay out of U$500,000.00 (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND EUROS) which is the winning payout for Category "C" winners. This is from the total prize of 1 MILLION EUROS Shared among the 2 international winners in this category.

CONGRATULATIONS!

El Ministrio Consultant Spain, has been assigned to be your agent. In your best interest and also to avoid mix up of numbers and names of any kind, we request that you keep the entire details of your award strictly from public notice until the process of transferring your claims has been completed, and your funds remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants/no participants of this program.
We also wish to bring to your notice our end of year (2005) high stakes where you stand a chance of winning up to 10.Million, we hope that with a part of your prize you will participate.
Please contact your claim agent immediately, to begin your claim process;

MR.PETERO BRUNO
DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS
EL MINISTRIO CONSULTANT, SPAIN
TEL: +34-669-413-328
EMAIL:elministriosp@netscape.net

for due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice. Remember, you must contact your claim agent within Three weeks, after this time frame, all funds will be returned as unclaimed.
Congratulations once again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotional program.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Blessing Carlos.
EL GORDO Nacional Loterías Sp.

NOTE: If you are under the age of 18, you are automatically disqualified for this star prize.
Please do not reply to this mail. Contact your claim agent with the contact information given above.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam