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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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:

• 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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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.
  • chrisjohn@consultant.com
  • chrisjohnagent@yahoo.ca (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Angela Frau <cordinatorfrau@freenet.de>
Reply-To: angel_frau@alice.it
Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:32:59 +0100
Subject: Contact Him immediately


NOTICE...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE LOTTERY CORDINATOR
ONLINE MEGA MILLION
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
***************************************************************************************************************
BATCH NO: 023521/10/06/MMOL
REF. NO: MMOL/00235849/06/0025
***************************************************************************************************************
This is to inform you of the release of the ONLINE MEGAMILLION E-MAIL COMPUTER LOTTERYBALLOT INTERNATIONAL/ WORLD GAMING BOARD. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 0000254 with Serial number 521487 drew the lucky numbers of 05-23-75-59-16-64, which consequently won the lottery in the 2nd category.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payment of Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ( US$500,000.00 ) only, which is deposited in your favour as beneficiary and covered with HIGH INSURANCE POLICY. It is important that keep your winning confidential to avoid people garnering your information and subsequently making claim with your
winning paraphernalia information, Super lottery international will decline payment if such irregularity occurs.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from only Microsoft users from over 30,000.00 companies and 3,000,000.00 individual email addresses and
names from all over the world. To begin your lottery claim,
please contact your claims agent below on or before the 21st of December 2006
CONTACT NAME: Chris John
EMAIL:chrisjohn@consultant.com
chrisjohnagent@yahoo.ca

It is imperative that you contact your assigned payment officer within the stipulated period of time. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in subsequent promos.
Please note in order to avoid preventable delays and Complications please remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all correspondence.
Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as soon as possible.
Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for being part of our promotional program.
Yours Sincerely,
Angela Frau
Lottery Cordinator
Online Mega Million E-mail Lottery International

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam