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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +34695616308 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: EURO MILLON <eurocredit@walla.com>
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 02:40:55 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?q?_=80URO_MILLON_LOTERIA_ESPA=D1OL_S_A.?=


€URO MILLON LOTERIA ESPAÑOL S A.
PLAZA CASTELLANA 13, 29001 MADRID, SPAIN.
TEL/FAX: +34-695-616-308
FROM: THE DESK OF MANAGING DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
17th February 2006
ATT: REF. EME/525918/05
BATCH NO.01749/C003

RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION/FINAL NOTICE.
We are pleased to inform you of the release of the EURO MILLON INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION PROGRAMME, held on the 10th day of February 2006.
Your name attached to the ticket number 032-22532881.810 with serial number 4226-19 drew the lucky numbers 19-28-31-40-44-49 which consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay US$615,000.00 (SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND US DOLLARS) in cash credited to file REF NO.EME/525918/05. This is from a total cash prize of US$5,368.770.00 (FIVE MILLION, THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY US DOLLARS) Shared among the seventeen international winners in the category 1&3. CONGRATULATIONS.
Your fund is now deposited with a security company insured to your name. We ask that you keep this award top secret from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account as this is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unwarranted taking of advantage of this program by participants.
All participants were selected through computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 names from Europe, South Pacific, Asia, Middle East and North America as a part of our international promotion program which we conduct once every year. We hope with a part of your prize, you will take part in our end of year high stake US$1.3 billion international Lottery.
To begin your claims, please contact your claims agent, DR. LUKE ANDERSON the Foreign Service manager of LIBERTY SEGUROS S.L. on Tel: +34-659-504-816 for processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice. Remember all prize money must be claimed not later than 28th February 2006. After this date, all funds will be returned to the Ministerio de Economia y Hacienda as unclaimed.
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch number in every correspondence with us or your Agent Furthermore should there be any change of address do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.
You will be paying 5% (five percent) of your total prize money to the agent after you receive the money.
Congratulations again from all members of our staff and thank you for being a part of our promotion program.
Yours sincerely,
SUZANNE GARCIA
(VICE PRESIDENT)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam