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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: "PRIME GOLDEN TRUST AGENCY" <info_pgta2000@msn.com>
Reply-To: claim_hm@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 09:21:03 +0000
Subject: YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS EMERGED LOTTO WINNER.

PRIME GOLDEN TRUST AGENCY
10 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE,
LONDON, THE UNITED KINGDOM.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT

WINNING NOTICE FOR CATEGORY "A" WINNER -
Reference Winning Number:3-34-28-13-41

ATTN:
International Lotto BV has just concluded final draws from it's periodical
promotional program.An exclusive list of thousands of individual and
corporate bodies were picked by an advanced automated random computer
search over the internet as no tickets were sold for this program.Your email
address soughted from a total number of 40,000 email addresses all over
the globe emerged as one of three winners in the category "A", hence you as
well as the other two winners are to receive payouts of US$500,000.00
each.
Kindly note that each emerging winning email address as selected by the
online cyber lotto,was accompanied by a reference and ticket number.Your
email is attached to the following:
Reference Winning Number:3-34-28-13-41
Ticket number:220982217413-7240.
SERIAL NUMBER:34708-325
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
You will be required to provide any of the above information during the
process of collecting your prize. We congratulate you once again and it is
our hope that you participate in any of our international programs in the
nearest future.
To begin your claim, please respond back to your claims agent;

NAME:MR.HEINZ MARTINS.
EMAIL:claim_hm@yahoo.co.uk
TEL/Fax: 44-8701337294
He will brief you on steps to be taken for due processing! and
remittance of your prize money. Remember, you must contact him using
his mailing address not later than two weeks after this date or 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
correspondences
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Amada Bowen,
Promotions Manager,

PLEASE NOTE:
DUE TO MIX UP OF SOME REFERENCE NUMBERS AND EMAIL IDS, YOU ARE ADVICED TO
STRICTLY KEEP ALL LOTTERY INFORMATIONS FROM PUBLIC UNTIL YOUR CLAIM HAS BEEN
FULLY PROCESSED AND YOUR FUNDS REMITTED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS WE WILL NOT
ENTERTAIN CASES OF MULTIPLE CLAIMS PROCESSING AND ABUSE OF THIS PROGRAM BY
UNSCRUPULOUS PERSON(S) OR COMPROMISE THE PRIVACY AND SECURITY OF ALL OUR
WINNERS.THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE DATA PROTECTION ACT OF THE INTERNATIONAL
LOTTO.


Anti-fraud resources: