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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
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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:

• 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.
  • madridfinancier@aim.com

Fraud email example:

From: primitiva lotteria <primitiva@primitivalotteria2.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 17:16:30 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: Email Prize Award


Email Prize Award
C/.Isabel 45,28008.
Madrid-Spain.

Sir/Madam,

We wish to congratulate you over your email success in our computer balloting sweepstake held on 15th Sept. 2006. This is a millennium scientific computer game in which email addresses were used. It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users; therefore you do not need to buy ticket to enter for it. You have been approved for the star prize of $1,000,000.00 (One Million Dollars).

All 10 winning addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international email addresses. Your email address emerged alongside 9 others as a category A winner in the program.

To claim your winning prize you are to contact the appointed agent as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:

C/.SEGRE 40,28008 MADRID-SPAIN.
E-mail: madridfinancier@aim.com
Contact:Mr.Wilson Buch.
(¡) Batch No: SUTO/980/TWM/EU
(¡¡) Ticket No: WRNM/SMI/5990
(¡¡¡) Lucky No: 10-23-44-72-80
(iv) Serial No: MUOTI/82536

You must contact the appointed agent with your Full Names,Contact Telephone Numbers (Home, Office and Mobile Number, country/nationality,Occupation and also Fax Number) via email to process the immediate payment of your prize.
The Validity period of the winnings is for 30 working days hence you are expected to make your cla ims immediately, any claim not made before this date will be CANCELLED.

Best Regards,
Mrs.Gorisa Labella,
Program Assistant.
Madrid,19th Sept.2006
NOTE: Kindly send your winning information to the email below.
E-mail: madridfinancier@aim.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam