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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.

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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "claim 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.
  • citygoldfinances@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "electronic lottery" <elect117@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:46:11 +0200
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION !!!

From the Desk of Award Department
Ref. Number : 236/552/483/01717
Batch Number : 235/686/ 211 / 006

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today,of winners of the
Electronic Lottery International Programs held on the 27th of June and
released on 20th of July 2006, your e-mail address attached to ticket
number: ESLI/7/109/556/408 with Serial number: 50/CL/452 drawn from the
lucky number: 302/298/333/541, and consequently won in the 3rd category.
You have therefore been approved for a huge sum of Nine Hundred And
Twenty-Five Thousand Euro Only (925,000.00 Euro ). CONGRATULATION ! ! !

Your Fund is now deposited with a security company insured in your name
alone, due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your
winning information confidential until your claims has been processed and
your money remitted to your account. 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 65,000 companies and individual email addresses from Europe, America,
Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Africa and New Zea-land as part of international
program which we conduct once every year.

To begin your claim, please contact your claim agent,foreign operation
manager;

CITY GOLD FINANCE
E-MAIL: citygoldfinances@netscape.net
Director Dr.V.Bruce

For the processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated bank
account of your choice.

Please be aware that your paying bank will effect payment swiftly upon
satisfactory report and verifications provided by our processing agency.
Remember, if not claim for certain period it will returned as unclaimed.

Note in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, remember to
quote your reference number and batch numbers in all correspondence, also
forward your name,address,telephone and fax numbers to our agency.
Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform your claim
agent as soon as possible.

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs.Rita Joop
Public Relation Officer.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam