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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.
• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "international lottery programme"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • agent_ferdinand.wilson@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "australia lotto winner's" <mrs_terry.cole@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:46:54 +0100
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS

AUSTRALIA LOTTO LOTTERY INC.
HEAD OFFICE
6123 Cool Street Rd.
Somewherevulle Ax34587,
Australia

Date: 27/07/2006.
Ref:4758961725
Batch: ALLINC 70564943902/188
Winning no:FGNGB2701/LPRC

CONGRATULATIONS

Dear Lucky Winner. Sir/Madam,

We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on 20TH OF JULY-2006
from the Australian International Lottery programme.

Which is fully based on an electronic selection of winners using their
e-mail addresses Your name was attached to ticket number; 47061725
07056490902 serial number 7741137002 This batch draws the lucky numbers as
follows 5-13-33-37-42 bonus number 17,which consequently won the lottery in
the second category.
You hereby have been approved a lump sum pay of US$500,000.00.
(FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/02
from the total cash prize of US$4.8million shared amongst eight lucky
winners in this category.
All participant were selected through a computer balloting system drawn from
Nine hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia, United
States, Asia, Europe, Middle Eastand Oceania as part of our international
promotions program which is conducted annually. This Lottery was promoted
and sponsored by a conglomorate of some multinational companies as part of
their social responsibility to the citizens in the Commmunities where they
have operational base. Further more your details(e-mail address) falls
within our European representative office in london uk, as indicated in your
play coupon and your prize of US$500,000,.00USD, will be released to you
from this regional branch office in London. We hope with part of your prize,
you will participate in our end of year high stakes for US$1.3 Billion
international draw.

How to claim your winning simply contact our claiming agent, Mr Ferdinand
Wilson. His Email Address is: agent_ferdinand.wilson@yahoo.co.uk to file
for your winning.

Please quote your reference, batch and winning number which can be found on
the top left corner of this notification as well as your full name, address
and telephone number to help locate your file easily. For security reasons,
we advice all winners to keep this information confidential from the public
until your claim is processed and your prize released to you. This is part
of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted taking
advantage of this programme by non-participant or unofficial personnel.

Note: all winnings MUST be claimed under two weeks of recieving this message
otherwise all funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually donated to
charity. Congratulations once again on your winnings!!!

BEST REGARD,
Mrs. Terry .M.Cole
Co.Ordinator
AUSTRALIAN LOTTO BOARD.

NOTE: PLEASE DO REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT FOR CLAIMING
FAILING TO DO THIS ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TO
DISQUALIFICATION.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam