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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • emaillagoslottery1@yahoo.com.hk

Fraud email example:

From: "LAGOS LOTTERY" <lagoslottery2003@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: emaillagoslottery1@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 18:50:19 +0000
Subject: EMAIL REWARD PROMOTION

EMAIL REWARD PROMOTION
LAGOS STATE LOTTERY
JANUARY 2006 WINNERS.


Dear Winner,
WINNING FINAL NOTIFICATION

We are officially informing you of the result of the Lottery Winners
International programs held on the 16th of JANUARY 2006 as part of our
promotional programs for the year 2006. Your e-mail address attached to
ticket number 774-8105-1721 with reference number 414-3721060
drew winning numbers 7-00-71-00-66-49 and credited to batch number 121cfc,
which consequently won in the 3rd category via our electronic ticket as
stated above. You have therefore been approved for a pay out of $2,500,00.00
(TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ONLY)

Reply only to : emaillagoslottery1@yahoo.com.hk
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We advice that you keep your winning information very confidential as our
security policy demands to avoid double claims/impersonation and unwarranted
abuse of this program by some individuals.

All participants were selected through a random computer ballot system drawn
from over 800,000 company and 1,000,000 individual email addresses and names
from all over the world. This promotional program takes place annually and
we hope with part of your winning you will take part in our next year $20
Million Dollars International Lottery. To file for your claim, you will be
contacting our accounts department authorized to verify and process your
claims for your total payment (You will receive more information upon your
acknowledgment of this email and be regular to your mail for response will
come to you as soon as possible).

This lottery is promoted and sponsored by software corporations and other
private organizations to help individuals generate fortunes which would
encourage them to expand their business frontiers thereby creating more
opportunities and assisting with humanitarian concerns within their
immediate environment. Please Note that winnings must be claimed not later
than 30th of JANUARY 2006. After this date all unclaimed funds will be
included in our subsequent program coming up later in 2006. In order to
avoid complications always quote your ticket number (774-8105-1721) in all
correspondence.

Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform us as soon as
possible. Congratulations from our organization and thank you for being part
of our promotional program.

N.B: Anybody under the age of 16 is automatically disqualified from
this program.

Sincerely yours,

Mr. OLA C.
LAGOS LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
19, AWOLOWO ROAD, LAGOS NIGERIA
emaillagoslottery1@yahoo.com.hk

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam