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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:

• 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:
  • "hundred thousand 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.
  • agentjohngreen@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • postmaster_bingo@virgilio.it (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: ONLINE BINGO LOTTO <onlinebingolotto@wanadoo.es>
Reply-To: onlinebingoclaim@wanadoo.es
Date: Sun, 07 May 2006 03:45:33 +0200
Subject: You are a lucky winner


FROM: THE VICE PRESIDENT,
E-MAIL COMPUTER GENERATED DRAWS
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
BINGO ONLINE LOTTO
REFERENCE NUMBER :BINGO/ONL-12014/04/BOL
BATCH NUMBER : BINGO/000548 /BOL/06
***************************************************************************************************************
TO WINNERS IN OUR PROGRAM
We happily announce to you the draw of the Bingo Online International programs held on FRIDAY 14TH OF APRIL, 2006.in ITALY.This is a millennium scientific computer
game in which email addresses were used. It is a promotional program aimed at
encouraging internet users, However, your email address attached to ticket number
104-125400; with serial number 00014 draw the lucky numbers
07-75-15-25-60-43, which eventually won the lottery in the second category of
the draws. You have therefore been approved to claim a lump sum of Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ( US$ 500,000.00 ) credited to file Ref. BINGO/ONL-12014/04/BOL.This is from a total cash prize of US $ 12,500,000.00 , shared amongst the first Twenty-Five (25) lucky winners in this category.
This promotion takes place annually largely promoted and sponsored by a group of
philanthropist, industrialists from the internet ware industry and some other
big multinational firms who wish to be anonymous
In view of this, your US$500,000.00 ( Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) would be released to you by our payment office in europe.
To commence your lottery claim, do contact your claims manager with contact details below stating your reference and batch numbers in all correspondence to avoid unnecessary delays and complications .
Note that this program was largely promoted and sponsored by a group of philanthropist, industrialists from the internet ware industry and some other
big multinational firms who wish to be anonymous.
CLAIMS MANAGER
MR. JOHN GREEN
E-MAIL :agentjohngreen@netscape.net
Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and press anonymity until the end of proceedings, and beyond where they so desire. Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until the end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated
with double / fraudulent claims.
CONGRATULATIONS !!!
YOURS TRULY,
LINDA SMITH(Mrs.)
VICE PRESIDENT
BINGO ONLINE LOTTO
***************************************************************************************************************
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or its contents is prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the Gaming Control Board immediately by e-mail at postmaster_bingo@virgilio.it and destroy all copies of this communication and any attachments.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam