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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
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • @aim.com

Fraud email example:

From: primiloteria sweepstake <primiloteria@primiloteria.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2006 14:49:33 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: LOTERIA PRIMITIVA


LOTERIA PRIMITIVA
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION/ PRIZE AWARD DEPT.
MADRID SPAIN.

ATTENTION:
REF/EG/2551256003/01
BATCH/000750013


RE: AWARD CLAIM FINAL NOTIFICATION.

This is to inform you of the release of the LOTERIA PRIMITIVA SWEEP STAKE PROGRAM held on the 3rd October 2006. Your email address was attached to ticket number 025-11-464-992-750 with serial number 2113-05 drew the lucky numbers 13-15-16-21-34-36 which consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of €850,000.00 ( EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND EURO ONLY) in cash credited to file with REF. NO. EG/2551256003/01 and BATCH NO. 000750013. This is from a total cash prize of €10,468,770 (TEN MILLION FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EURO ONLY) Shared among 17 (Seventeen) international winners in different category. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Your fund is now deposited with our Paying Finance house and insured in your name. Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account as this is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unwarranted taking of an advantage of this program by participants and non participants.

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 names from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, America and North America as part of our International promotions program which we conduct once every year. We hope your lucky email address will draw a bigger cash prize payout in the next year high stake € 1.3 BILLION inter lottery.

To begin your claim, please contact your claims agent, Alex Dimas the foreign service Manager of VART CONSULTANT S.A.
TEL: -34-692 957 743 FAX: -34- 695 032 119
E-mail: vartconsultant @aim.com for the processing and remittance of your winning prize money to a designation of your choice.

Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than, 20th OCTOBER 2006 after this date, all funds will be returned to the MINISTERIO DE ECONOMIA Y HACIENDA as unclaimed. And also be informed that 10% of your Lottery Winning will be paid to VART CONSULTANTS. A. after you have received your money.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every correspondence with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations once again from all our members of staff and thank you for being a part of our International promotions program.

YOURS SINCERELY,

DR. EVA VICENTE.
VICE PRESIDENT.
LOTERIA BOARD.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam