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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
• 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.
  • clark_duncan1@ny.com

Fraud email example:

From: "L-lottery.ch Promotion" <l_lottery10@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 10:55:38 -0900
Subject: REF NO: SL/74/368/05 CONGRATULATION, YOU HAVE WON A PRICE !!!!

FROM: SWISS LOTTO INTERNATIONAL
POSTFACH, 4002 BASEL.
HEAD OFFICE: SWITZERLAND
REF NO: SL/74/368/05
BATCH NO: SL-121-LT-11-12-05

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT AS A RESULT OF OUR RECENT DRAWS HELD ON
THE 21st OF DECEMBER 2005.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 27522465896-532 with serial
number 652-662 drew lucky numbers 7-14-18-23-31-45, which consequently won
in the 2nd category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out
of $1,000,000 (ONE MILLION DOLLARS) Note that all participants in this
lottery program have been selected randomly through a computer ballot system
drawn from over 20,000 companies and 30,000,000 individual email addresses
from all search engines and web sites.

This promotional program takes place every year, and is promoted and
sponsored by eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei, Bill gates of
Microsoft Inc and other corporate organizations. This is to encourage the
use of the Internet and computers worldwide.
For security purpose and clarity, we advise that you keep your winning
information confidential until your claims have been processed and your
money remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double
claims and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. We look
forward to your active participation in our next year USD50 million slot.

To file for your claim, please contact our fiducially agent claims officer
via email as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:

Mr. Clark Duncan.
E-mail address: clark_duncan1@ny.com
Remember, all winnings must be claimed not later than one month after the
date of this notice.

Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,
remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all
correspondence.Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform
our agent as soon as possible. Congratulations once more and thank you for
being part of our promotional program.

NOTE: YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED IF YOU ARE BELOW 18 YEARS OF
AGE.You are advised to forward this information as soon as possible to
enable us attend to your winnings. Our Finance company has been contracted
to handle payments on your behalf, once we confirm your information, your
payments would be processed.

Mr Peter Thomas
(LOTTERY CO-ORDINATOR)
POSTFACH, 4002 BASEL.
HEAD OFFICE: SWITZERLAND.
REF NO: SL/74/368/05 CONGRATULATION !!!!!!!


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam