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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "fondazione di vittorio" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • giovanifdv@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: pplaywins@mchsi.com (Mrs. Tara McMeans)
Date: Tue, 01 May 2007 10:21:18 +0000
Subject: IMPORTANT NOTICE ( Mr. C.Giovanni for confirmation)

Foundation's Officer,
Fondazion Di Vittorio,
ITALY
http://www.fondazionedivittorio.it

Concern.

The Foundazion di Vittorio, would like to notify you that you have been
chosen by the board of trustees as one of the final recipients of a
cash Grant/Donation for your own personal, educational, and business
development. The Fondazione Di Vittorio, established 1977 by the Multi-Million
groups and now supported by the Economic Community for West African
States (ECOWAS), United Nations Organization (UNO) and the European
Union (EU) was conceived with the objective of human growth, educational, and
community development.

To celebrate the 28th anniversary program, The Vittorio Foundation in
conjunction with the Economic Community for West African States
(ECOWAS), United Nations Organization (UNO) and the European Union (EU)
is giving out a yearly donation of US$100,000,000.00 (One Hundred
Million United States Dollars) to 100 lucky recipients. These specific
Donations/Grants will be awarded to 100 lucky international recipients
worldwide; in different categories for their personal business development and
enhancement of their educational plans. At least 15% of the awarded funds
should be
used by you to develop a part of your environment. This is a yearly
program, which is a measure of universal development strategy.

Note that your country is not the only country that is benefiting from
this donation. Beneficiaries have been chosen from countries from all
continents. The idea of this donation is that within ten years from
now, there will be notable richness among many unusual people around
the world.This will give many people the opportunity to get their lives to a
stage where they had always wanted.

Based on the random selection exercise of internet websites and
millions of supermarket cash invoices worldwide, you were selected
among the lucky recipients to receive the award sum of US$1,000,000.00
(One Million United States Dollars) as charity donations/aid from the
Vittorio Foundation, ECOWAS, EU and the UNO in accordance with the enabling act
of
Parliament. (Note that all beneficiaries email addresses were selected
randomly from over 100,000 internet websites or a shop's cash invoice around
your area in
which you might have purchased something from).

You are required to fill the form below and email it to our Executive
Secretary below for qualification documentation and processing of your
claims. After contacting our office with the requested data, you will
be given your donation pin number, which you will use in collecting the funds.
Please endeavor to quote your Qualification numbers (N-222-6747, E-900-56) in
all discussions.


===========================================
FULL NAMES:
ADDRESS:
COUNTRY
SEX:
AGE:
OCCUPATION:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:

===========================================
SEND ALL YOUR CLAIMS AND INQUIRIES TO THE
Executive Secretary- Claudio Giovanni
Email: giovanifdv@yahoo.com


All information is strictly confidential and will only be used for the
purpose to which it is been requested.

Please note that these donations/Grants are strictly administered by
Economic community for West African States (ECOWAS), European Union
(EU), under delegated powers from the United Nations Organization
(UNO). This means that your qualification number will be reffled to
know the organisation (ECOWAS or EU) that will handle your payment.
You are to keep this whole information confidential until you have
been able to collect your donation, as there have been many cases of
double and unqualified claim, due to beneficiaries informing third
parties about his/her donation.

Finally, all funds should be claimed by their respective beneficiaries,
no later than 15 days after notification. Failure to do so will mean
cancellation of that beneficiary and its donation will then be reserved
for next year's recipients.

On behalf of the Board kindly, accept our warmest congratulations.

Regards.
Mr.Antiono Pablo
(Foundation officer)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam