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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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned 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.
  • smith_treasurydept99@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "emma ejimofor" <emmaejimofor@latinmail.com>
Date: Fri, 4 May 2007 03:04:53 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: UNCLAIMED LOTTO PRIZE PAYMENT NOTICE.


INTERNATIONAL LOTTO ORGANIZATION
Juan Southern portion De Mencosea 6E 21022,
Cotonou Republic Du Benin

UNCLAIMED LOTTO PRIZE PAYMENT NOTICE.

ATTENTION TO THE OWNER OF THIS EMAIL ADDRESS;

Winner in the 2nd category of our Euroafric free Net Lottery
Promotional award draws held December 2006.

I am writing in respect to your lotto winning prize of $915,810.00(Nine
hundred and fifteen thousand eight hundred and ten US Dollars
only) which you won through the email ballot draws in our Euroafric
Lotto Award in 2006 in the second category prize winnings category.

We wish to inform you that your total prize money of $915,810.00 has
been returned to us by our Lotto claims agent as unclaimed prize
after their initial letter to your address for your payment was not
successful.

You are here by requested to contact our Treasury Office on telephone
22993699001 or 0022993699001 and also through e-mail:
(smith_treasurydept99@yahoo.fr) for your immediate payment,Our
Treasury officer's name is Mr.John Smith , so refer this to him
immediately for the immediate payment of your unclaimed lotto prize
payment to you.

You should contact our Treasury Officer as directed above for your
payment, and do notify me as soon as you received your payment from our
Treasurer.

Thanks,
Mrs Serina Gomez.
President; Int'l Lotto Org.

Día de la Madre: Convierte su día en algo muy especial http://pan.starmedia.com/especiales/diadelamadre07/

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam