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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • flavio_tonnasi@sify.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Anglo European Lottery" <info@angloeuropean.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: contact@angloeuropean.com
Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 09:55:05 +0000
Subject: Your Feb e-lottery 2006 result

ANGLO-EUROPEAN ELECTRONIC LOTTERY (UK) LIMITED
SERIAL NOS:AEELOT06/1771/UK/FEB 2006
COUPON NOS:ERSS/7619-01346-2118/LOT 06
Dear Participant,
Re: e-lottery Promotion Feb 2006 Promo

Anglo-European private international e-lottery organizers and
co-sponsors, Anglo Group International, officially bring to your
notice of the final draw result of the 1st Feb 2006 e-lottery
Promotion which was conducted at our international corporate office
complex here The United Kingdom (UK). Most recently this Organization
set up the new e-lottery programme to give out prizes based on computer
ballot system(CBS). By doing this therefore, you do not need to buy a
ticket to enter for it. As the Organisation seek to encourage the use
of Internet for academic and business pursuits. It major aim is to
promote music,theatre, art,literature, projects in the area of
social-political arena with a focus on health, as well as science,
research, and higher education.

Consequently, we wish to congratulate and inform you on the selection
of your email coupon numbers which was selected among the 45 lucky
prize winners. Your email ID identified with coupon Nos:
ERSS/7619-01346-2118/LOT06 with SERIAL AEELOT06/1771/UK/FEB 2006 and
was selected by our e-Promo Random Selection System (ERSS) with entries
from the 50,000 different email addresses world-wide enrolled for the
E-Promo. Your email ID was included among the 50,000 different email
addresses submitted by our technical partner, international emails
provider Inc

Subsequently, you won yourself a cash prize of Two Million United
States Dollars (USD$2,000,000.00). And the Payment Board have approved
a pay-out of your cash prize which will be remunerated directly to you
by the Prize remittance Unit.

The Prize remittance Unit (PRU) will render to you complete assistance
and provide additional information and processes for the claims of your
prize. This promotion Program is sponsored by a group of corporate
establishments, individuals and accredited charitable organizations
world-wide. Be informed that a minimum of 10% of your prize MUST
be donated to a remarkable charity organization in your locality.

For due processing of your Cash Prize, please contact your Remittance
Officer: Mr Flavio Tonnasi who has been assigned to assist you at:
flavio_tonnasi@sify.com for more information with your contact
Details Immediately. (Full Names, address, telephone and Fax Nos)
As all winnings must be process and claimed not later than 28 Feb
2006.

And always remember to quote your coupon and serial Numbers in all your
correspondence with your Payment Coordinator for easy identification,
so as to avoid unnecessary delays and complications. Once again,
congratulations from our management and staffs on your e-selection
prize winning.

Best Regards,
Michelle Smith
Information Desk Officer,
ANGLO-EUROPEAN ELECTRONIC LOTTERY (UK) LIMITED

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam