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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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • vartclaimagency@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: clayto@clayto.orangehome.co.uk
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 19:14:45 +0100 (CET)
Subject: Kindly contact Your Claim Agent:


Kindly contact Your Claim Agent:
LOTERIA PRIMITIVA
Promotion SL,
28044, Madrid
Spain.

Sir/Madam,

CONGRATULATIONS!!! We are pleased to inform you of the result of the
LOTERIA PRIMITIVA Winners International programs held. Your e-mail
address attached to ticket No: 014032581085 with prize No 43450845/sl
drew (550,000.00) Euros which was first in the 2nd class of the draws.
You are to receive a (550,000.00) (Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand
Euros).

Be informed because of mix up in cash pay-outs, we ask that you keep
your winning information confidential until your fund (550,000.00) has
been fully remitted to you by our accredited pay-point bank.

This measure must be adhere to avoid loss of cash prize, winner are
advised to adhere to these instructions to forestall the abuse of this
program by other participants. It's important to note that this draws
were conducted formally, and winners are selected through an Internet
ballot system from Six hundred thousand individual companies e-mail
addresses- the draws are conducted around the world through our internet
based ballot system. The promotion is sponsored and promoted by LOTERIA
PRIMITIVA PROMO.

We congratulate you once again. We hope you will use part of it in our
next draws; the jackpot winning is 85million Euros. Remember, all
winning must be claimed not later than 25 days. After this date all
unclaimed cash prize will be forfeited and included in the next
sweepstake. Please, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and
complications remember to quote your winning numbers in all
correspondence with us. Congratulations once again from all members of
LOTERIA PRIMITIVA. Thank you for being part of our promotional program.
For immediate release of your cash prize to you,


Kindly contact Your Claim Agent:
MR. Alex Dimas
Vart Claim Agency
TEL: 0034 692 957 743
EMAIL: vartclaimagency@aim.com

Kindly send the following information to the paying bank:

(i) Your names,
(ii) Contact telephone and fax numbers
(iii) Contact Address
(iv) Your winning numbers
(v) Quote amount won.
Congratulations once again.


Yours Faithfully,

Mrs. Clarion Fabian
Promotion Coordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam