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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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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • @yahoo.com
  • @worldemail.com

Fraud email example:

From: Matthew Kingsley <matthew_kingsley@worldemail.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 10:18:38 -0500
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS, LOTTERY WINNER.


LAGOS ONLINE LOTTERY PROMOTIONS
LAGOS,23401
NIGERIA
09-25-2006(CUSTOMER SERVICES)
WWW.LAGOSLOTTERY.COM
REF: MTN/6587/356
BATCH: 089/6748/YK06
ATTN: WINNER.
We are pleased to inform you, that as a result of our
RECENT LOTTERY DRAWS HELD THIS MONTH.Your
e-mail address attached to ticket number:234-6077-09
with serial number:390-0 drew lucky
numbers:06-09-13-12-39 which consequently won in
the 5th category.you have therefore been approved for
a lump sum pay of  ($100,000.00 US DOLLARS ONLY) in cash
credited to file with REF: º.EGS/3662367114/13.Note
that all participants in this lottery program have
been selected randomly through a computer ballot
system drawn from over 20,000 Officials and 30,000,000
individual email addresses from all search engines and
web sites,from Asia, Australia, New
Zealand, Europe, North and South America, Middle East
and Africa, as part of our International Promotions
Program.
This promotional program takes place every MONTH and
is to encourage the use of the internet and computers
and lottery gamings worldwide.
Your fund is now deposited with Union Bank
and insured in your name
FOR SECURITY PURPOSE AND CLARITY, WE ADVISE THAT YOU KEEP YOUR WINNING
INFORMATIONS CONFIDENTIAL UNTIL YOUR CLAIMS HAVE BEEN PROCESSED.THIS IS
PART OF  SECURITY SYSTEM TO AVOID DOUBLE CLAIMS AND UNWARRANTED ABUSE OF THIS PROGRAM BY  IMPOSTORS.
PLEASE NOTE: IN ORDER TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DELAY AND COMPLICATIONS
REMEMBER TO QUOTE YOUR NAME, PHONE NO., NATIONALITY, AGE , SEX AND YOUR LUCKY NUMBERS AND BATCH NUMBERS IN ALL
CORRESPONDENCE.APPLY FOR YOUR PRIZE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO
YOUR PAYMENT WILL BE PROCESSED WITHIN THE TIME OF CLAIM.
CONTACT YOUR L.O.L.P AGENT:  ANTHONY KINGSLEY
CONTACT MAIL: lagos_lottery1_2006 @yahoo.com 
CONGRATULATIONS ONCE MORE
JIDE KEHINDE
2006 LAGOS ONLINE LOTTERY CORDINATOR --- Web based Email via @WorldEmail.com---

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam