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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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.
• 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.
  • megabucklotto_winlisting0206@yahoo.com.tw (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: =?big5?q?megabuck=20lotto?= <megabucklotto_winlisting0206@yahoo.com.tw>
Reply-To: al_zakharenko@o2.pl
Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2006 12:26:45 +0800 (CST)
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION


§Ú¦³·sªº«H½c¤F!§A¥i¥H±H«Hµ¹§Ú¨ì: megabucklotto_winlisting0206@yahoo.com.tw

MEGA-BUCK LOTTO

ADDRESS:

107 BILMAPLEINSTRAAT

2987 NZ

AMSTERDAM,

NETHERLAND.



Sir/Madam,



We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners

International programs held on the 2nd June, 2006. Your e-mail address

attached to ticket number 27522465896-6453 with serial number 3772-554 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 Euros

2,500,000(TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND EUROS).

CONGRATULATIONS!!!



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

claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. All

participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over

20,000 companies and 30,000,000 individual email addresses and names from

all over the world. This promotional program takes place every year.



This lottery was promoted and sponsored by eminent personalities like the

Sultan of Brunei. We look forward to your active participation in our next

year USD50 million slot. You are requested to contact our clearance office

to assist you with the claim and transfer of your winnings fund into your

instructed account by acknowledging the receipt of this mail with the

email address below. Email al_zakharenko@o2.pl



Note that, all winnings must be claimed not later than

one month. After this date all unclaimed funds will be null and void. 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.

Sincerely yours,

Mr John Eastman



- megabuck lotto

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam