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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:
  • "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.
  • agentchriscand@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • presidentsuperlotto@zwallet.com

Fraud email example:

From: "thomertclaret " <lafortuna_online@rediffmail.com>
Date: 22 Dec 2006 01:37:16 -0000
Subject: congratulations lucky winner




NOTICE...CONGRATULATIONS!!!! FROM THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT ONLINE &nbsp;LA&nbsp; FORTUNA&nbsp; INTERNATIONAL&nbsp;LOTTO MEGA MILLIONPROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPT BATCH NO: 65409/11/05/SLTREF. NO: SLT/54390812/121/3421WINNING NOTIFICATION / FINAL NOTICE...CONGRATULATIONS!!!! This is to inform you of the release of the LA FORTUNA&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;E-MAIL LOTTERYBALLOT INTERNATIONAL/ WORLD GAMING BOARD. Your nameattached to ticket number 219028&nbsp; with Serial number200432 drew the lucky numbers of 05-31-75-64-25-74, whichconsequently won the lottery in the 1st category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payment ofFive&nbsp; Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ( US$500,000.00 ) only, which is deposited in your favour as beneficiary andcovered with HIGH INSURANCE POLICY. It is important thatkeep your winning confidential to avoid people garneringyour information and subsequently making claim with yourwinning paraphernalia information, la Fortuna
international Mega Million will decline payment if such irregularityoccurs.All participants were selected through a computer ballotsystem drawn from only Microsoft users from over 20,000.00companies and 3,000,000.00 individual email addresses andnames from all over the world. To begin your lottery claim,please contact your claims&nbsp; agent below on or before&nbsp; the 18thof&nbsp;FEBRUARY 2007CONTACT NAME: CHRIS CANDACEEMAIL: agentchriscand@netscape.net
It is imperative that you contact your assigned paymentofficer within the stipulated period of time. After this date allunclaimed funds will be included in subsequent promos.Please note in order to avoid preventable delays andComplications please remember to quote your referencenumber and batch numbers in all correspondence.Furthermore, should there be any change of address doinform our agent as soon as possible. Congratulations once more from our members of staff andthank you for being part of our promotional program.Yours Sincerely,Mrs. Claudio-rosella blini
Vice Presidentsuperlotto@zwallet.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam