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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:
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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:
  • "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.
  • garywhite3@mail.md (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "GOVERNANCE AWARD" <governanceaward01@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 04 Feb 2006 14:39:40 +0000
Subject: RE/AWARD NOTIFICATION (2006)

THE GOVERNANCE LOTTERY
NETHERLANDS HEAD OFFICE
DE BOELELAAN 1134,

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER.
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS / PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
REF NUMBER: 78934443/56.
BATCH NUMBER: 232/09854/AMT.

RE/AWARD NOTIFICATION

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today 4th of February 2006,
you among TWO LUCKY WINNERS WON the GOVERNANCE LOTTERY draw held on the 29th
of January 2006. The THREE Winning Addresses were randomly selected from a
batch of 10,000,000 international email addresses. Your email address
emerged alongside TWO others as a category B winner in this year's Annual
GOVERNANCE LOTTERY Draw.

Consequently, you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of
1,800,000.00 EUR (ONE MILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND EUR) only. In order to
avoid unnecessary delays and complications please remember to quote your
reference and batch number in all correspondence

REF NUMBER: 78934443/56.
BATCH NUMBER: 232/09854/AMT.
EMAIL TICKET NUMBER: 389/NL/174

To begin your claim process, contact your Claims Agent/Attorney:
AGENT NAME: GARY WHITE
EMAIL: garywhite3@mail.md

Your instrument of payment as well as a copy of this notification has been
sent ahead to the claim agent who, after verifying that you are the actual
owner/user of the e-mail address that won the draws, shall instruct the
paying bank for the release of your winning claims.

Note that the claim process is not expected to last longer than two weeks
from the date of contacting the claim agent.

Accept our congratulations!

Yours sincerely,

CARL WILLIAMS (MANAGING DIRECTOR)



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam