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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:
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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:

• 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:
  • "fiduciary 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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348026577988 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • larryspeters@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: RESULT@ECOLOTT.COM
Date: Sat, 09 Dec 2006 10:30:11 -0200
Subject: YOU HAVE WON US$2,500,000.00



ECO LOTTERY WINNERS (HEADQUARTERS)
ATTENTION: WINNER!!!
TICKET NUMBER: 2752246896
SERIAL NUMBER: 5368/02
BATCH NUMBER: AT-040SB06-03

WINNING NOTIFICATION:

We happily announce to you the draw of the Eco International Lottery
Sweepstake Online Lottery International programs held on the 8TH of
DECEMBER, 2006 in BRESCIA ITALY Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number: 2752246896 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers:
AT-040SB06-03, which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd
category.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
US$2,500,000.00 (Two million, Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars) in cash credited to file ktu/9023118308/03.This is from a
total cash prize of US $ 2.5 Million dollars, shared among the first
Ten (10) lucky winners in this category. All participants were
selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draw
system and extracted from over 100,000companies. This promotion takes
place annually please note that your lucky winning number falls within
our African booklet representative office in West Africa as indicated
in your play coupon. In view of this, your S$2,500,000.00 (Two
million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) would be
released to you by our payment office in Africa. Our African agent
will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of
your funds as soon as you contact him.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to
you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part
of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted
abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements.

Please be warned. To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary
agent:

NAME: MR LARRY PETERS
EMAIL: larryspeters@yahoo.com
Phone Number : +234802-657-7988

To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your full

1. Full Names: ------------------------------------------
2. Residential Address: ----------------------------------
3. Phone Number: --------------------------------------------
4. Fax Number:-------------------------------------------
5. Occupation: -----------------------------------------------
6. Sex: --------------------------------------------------------
7. Age: ---------------------------------------------------------
8. Nationality: -----------------------------------------------
9. Present Country: --------------------------------------------

Sincerely,
deborah martins.
Eco International Lottery Online Co-coordinator
Sweepstakes International Program.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam