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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims 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 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.
  • clearingonline@fsmail.net

Fraud email example:

From: vivian hart <hart20@fsmail.net>
Reply-To: hart21@fsmail.net
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 22:18:09 +0200
Subject: NOTIFICATION


MACSOFTWARE INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY S.A
AV 5 PLAZA DE CASTILLA
MADRID SPAIN


DEAR SIR/MA
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today 22nd, August
2005 of winners of the MACSOFTWARE INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROMOTIONS
SPAIN held on 19th of OCTOBER 2005. Your email address attached
to
ticket number 00279433, drew the lucky numbers 20-9-15-35-23-64-50,
batch number 65774/NL has consequently won the lottery in the 1st
category. You
have therefore been approved of a lump sum pay out of (.5,000, 000.00)
FIVE MILLION EUROS ONLY , credited to file
LOTTERY REF
NO. SGIL/436222. This is from total prize money of EURO 50,000,000.00
shared among the TEN international winners in categories B with
serial number: IL/FLW/12-C033721181. All participants were selected
through a computer ballot system drawn from 80,000 company email
addresses
and 40,000,000 individual email addresses from Australia, Africa,
New
Zealand, America, Europe, North America and Asia as part of
International Promotions Program, which is conducted annually.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Your fund is now in custody of a Financial Security company insured
in
your FILE REFERENCE. 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 your money remitted to your account. This is
part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or
unscrupulous
acts by participants of this program. This lottery program was
promoted by
our group of philanthropist headed by the SPANISH government. We
hope with a part of you prize, you Will participate in our end of
year
high stakes EURO 15,000,000 million International Lottery.
To begin your claim, please contact your file/claim Officer:
MR. FRANK GOYA
FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER
CLEARING ONLINE SECURITY S.A
MADRID SPAIN
EMAIL: clearingonline@fsmail.net
Please be informed that NON RESIDENCE of THE NTHERLANDS will be
required to make a NON DEDUCTABLE advance payment for processing and
legal documentation charges of (.928.10) Nine Hundred And Twenty
Eight Euro Ten Cent, to enable our legal department acquire
Notarisation papers from the Court prior to award payment policy as
required by the paying Financial Security Company. Please be aware
that your paying authority will effect payment swiftly upon
satisfactory report, verifications and validation provided by our
Processing Agent that would be designated to your file. For due
processing and remittance of your winning prize to your designated
account of choice. Remember all prize money must be claimed not later
than 20th nov 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. And batch numbers in every one of
your correspondences with your agent. Furthermore, should there be
any
change of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as
possible.
Congratulations once again from our team of staff and thank you for
being part of our promotional program. Note: Anybody under the age of
18 is automatically disqualified.Kindly contact your claim agent
immediately.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Vivian Hart
Lottery coordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam