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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: MRS CINDY PARKER <cindy_parker@katamail.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2006 16:22:45 +0000
Subject: Congratulations you've won!!


SWISS LOTTO
GESELLSCHAFT SCHWEIZER ZAHLENLOTTO
POSTFACH
4002 BASEL
REF NUMBER: SL/74/368/05
BATCH NUMBER: SL-121-LT-11-12-05
DEAR SIR/MADAM,
WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU,THAT AS A RESULT OF OUR RECENT LOTTERY
DRAWS HELD ON THE 5TH OF DECEMBER 2006.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 63538953216-435 with
serial number 172-488 draw lucky numbers 13 - 15 - 16 - 26 - 28 - 41 + 19 which
consequently won in the 1st category. you have therefore been approved for a

lump sum pay out of 1,000,000.00 (ONE MILLION DOLLARS).
Note that All participants in this lottery program have been selected
randomly through a computer ballot system drawn from over
20,000companies and 30,000,000.individual email addresses from all search engines and
web sites.
This promotional program takes place every year, and is promoted and
sponsored by eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei, MichaelDell
of Dell Computers and other corporate organizations. this is to
encourage the use of the Internet and computers worldwide.
For security purpose and clarity, we advise that you keep your winning
information confidential until your claims have been processed and your
money remitted to you.This is part of our security protocol to avoid
double claims and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants.
We look forward to your active participation in our next year USD 75
million slot.
You are requested to contact our clearance officer below to assist you
with your winnings and subsequent payments.
All winning must be claimed not later than 5th of JANUARY 2007 After
the date of this notice.Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary
delays and complications,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 and thank you for being part of our
promotional program.
NOTE: YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED IF YOU ARE BELOW 18 YEARS OF
AGE.
Sincerely yours,
MRS.CINDY PARKER
(LOTTERY COORDINATOR)
© 1996-2006 Swisslotto - all rights reserved - Switzerland
Swiss Lotto is a trademark of Gesellschaft Schweizer
Zahlenlotto - 4002 Basel

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam