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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Fraud email example:

From: "Vest Lotto" <vestlotto@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 09:55:56 +0000
Subject: HERZLICHEN GLXCKWUNSCH (CONGRATULATIONS)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FROM: THE LOTTERY COORDINATOR,
GOVERNMENT ACCREDITED LICENSED LOTTERY PROMOTERS.
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
VESTLOTTO GmbH, GERMANY.
MÜNCHENER STRASSE 20-24
60329 FRANKFURT
TEL:+49-0681-6206490
FAX:+49-01805/662244-01805/662222

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

RESULTS FOR CATEGORY "B" DRAWS
Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice, the
results of the Category "B" draws of VESTLOTTO GmbH,
Germany.

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 19th of November 2005 and results were officially
announced after the draws. 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, East Europe, Middle East and New Zealand
as part of our International Promotions Program.

You/Your company, attached to ticket number
2841/6109-22, with the serial number 44-56 drew the lucky
numbers 1, 4, 30, 38/, 40, 49, (18) and consequently
won in the Category "B".

You have therefore been awarded a lump sum pay out of
585,000.00 ( Five Hundred and Eighty-five Thousand
Euros)in cash, which is the winning
payout for Category "B" winners. This is from the
total prize money of 9,000,000.00 Euros shared among the
14 international winners in this category.


CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!


In your best interest and also to avoid mixing 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 transfering 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/nonparticipants
of this program.


We also wish to bring to your notice our mid year
(2006) high stakes where you stand a chance of winning
up to Twenty four Million Euros (24,000,000.00),
we hope that with a part of your prize, you will participate.

Please contact your claiming agent immediately, to begin
your claims process;

MR. Robert Guenter
CLAIM AGENT/VERIFYING HOUSE,
VESTLOTTO GmbH,GERMANY.
HOT LINE TEL: +491601103174
FAX: +01212-5-76079206
E-mail: robertguenter_62@web.de
For due processing and remittance of your prize money
to a designated account of your choice.

Remember, you must contact your claim agent not later
than 2 weeks. After this date, all funds
will be returned as unclaimed.

NOTE: For easy reference and identification, find
below your reference and batch numbers. Note that you
are to forward this mail to the finance firm in your
first correspondence with them, whether by email or fax.


REFERENCE NUMBER: ILD/0691/621-06/04
BATCH NUMBER: 42901-DE


Congratulations once again from all our staffs and
thank you for being part of our promotions program.


Sincerely,

THE LOTTERY COORDINATOR,
VESTLOTTO GmbH, GERMANY.


N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the
winners will result to disqualification. Please do not
reply to this mail. Contact your claims agent


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