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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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.

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

• 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.
  • paulshearer_02@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "Virgin International Lottery uk" <sweepsstakelottery23@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: paulshearer_02@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 08:57:04 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

It is our pleasure to inform you that you have emerged as a Category "A"
winner of the Virgin International lottery UK

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

You are entitled to a prize sum of One Million,Five Hundred Thousand United
State Dollars Reference number for your prize is VIL/UK/69-810278, ticket
number A/04-3919.

As a category A winner, you have been selected from a total number of 25,000
names drawn from Asia, Africa,Europe, Middle East and America. After the
computer ballot of our International Promotions Program, only six winners
emerged in the category and therefore both are to receive payouts of Eight
Hundred Thousand United State Dollars from the total 9,000,000.00 United
States Dollars for second category winners.

We in the Virgin International Lottery United Kingdom (UK),It is by this
program, launching our model computer balloting lottery draws, developed and
designed to satisfy the cravings of the ever growing number of participants
in our various lottery programs. With funds accrued exclusively from
previous draws, payouts to all winners are guaranteed and will be
transferred in record time.

To immediately collect your prize, please contact our Category "A" financial
handlers with information below:
Mr. Paul Shearer
London
United Kingdom
Email :paulshearer_02@yahoo.co.uk

Provide prize reference number-VIL/UK/69-810278 and winning ticket
number-A/04-3919 for confirmation.

In your best interests, you must initiate contact within one week of receipt
of this correspondence.

You are also advised to send a copy of this email,either by fax or email, to
your financial handler Mr.Paul Shearer when contacting him. You are to keep
all lottery information from the public as we will not entertain cases of
multiple claims processing or compromise the privacy and security for all
winners.

Other necessary Virgin International lotto uk information are:
Draw 1 number: 001-22528
Draw 2 number: 002-8073
International Lottery code no: IL66118

You may be required to provide any of the above information during the
process of collecting your prize. You are seriously advised once again to
keep all winning lottery information and numbers from the public in line
with our company security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted
abuse of this program by unscrupulous individuals.

We congratulate you once again and it is our hope that you participate in
any of our international programs in the nearest future.

Thank you
Sincerely,
Steven Lampard
VIRGIN INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY UK.
St.Catherine's Court
Herbert Road
Solihull
West Midlands
United Kingdom
B91 3QE

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam