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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:
  • "vittorio fondazione" (not involved with lotteries)
  • "vittorio foundation" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "attorneys " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "abuja" (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 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.
  • +2348060784791 (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.
  • ahmed_shiru_office_001@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr Anthonio Gianlucci <mranthonio.office@yahoo.it>
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 05:23:20 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: From the desk of Mr. Anthonio Gianlucci


>From the desk of Mr. Anthonio Gianlucci
VITTORIO FONDAZIONE.
Corso Ercole I d'Este 44,
Ferrara 44100 - Italy.


Concern:

This is to acknowledge the receipt of the requested data and the confirmation of your reliability in this universal programme. Do note that I have forwarded the produced data, to the head office of the Vittorio Foundation (ITALY) and the ECOWAS head office (Organisation assigned to handle your payment) in NIGERIA

The Vittorio Foundation has discovered a huge number of double claims due to beneficiaries informing close friends relatives, attorneys and third parties about their donations. As a result of this, this close friends relatives, attorneys and third parties try to claim the prize on behalf of the real recipients. The Vittorio Foundation has lost millions of dollars to this fraudulent people, and have reached a decision from headquarters that any double claim discovered by The Vittorio Foundation, will result to the Lottery office canceling that particular donation, making a loss for both the double claimer and the real beneficiary, as it is taken that the real recipient was the informer to the double claimer about the donation. So you are hereby advised once more to keep your all informations strictly confidential until your claim has been fully recovered.


Included in this letter is your donation pin number to be used when claiming your donation. Your donation pin number is "21556770665477". This number should be kept strictly confidential by you, as you will use it in receiving your donation.

You are to immediately contact the Payment officer in the ECOWAS office in ABUJA, NIGERIA for claim of your donation. Please do contact the officer in the below information.

CONTACT INFOS.
MR. AHMED SHIRU
COUNSELLOR, ECOWAS HEAD OFFICE
PLOT 4, BLOCK 23,
GARKI ABUJA, NIGERIA.
EMAIL:ahmed_shiru_office_001@yahoo.com
TEL: (+234) -806-078-4791

Do note that on contact with Mr. AHMED SHIRU, you are to provide him with your

Full Name and address
Telephone number
Country
Batch Numbers
Sex and Age
Occupation


Please contact MR. AHMED SHIRU immediately. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Signed,
Mr Anthonio Gianlucci
Foundation Secretary.
http://www.fondazionedivittorio.it

Copyright © 1977-2007 Vittorio Foundation. All rights reserved.




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam