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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)
  • "vittorio foundation" (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)
  • ",000,000" (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.
  • housninfo@yahoo.it (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Foundation Di Vittorio" <foundationmail@ash25e.internode.on.net>
Reply-To: housninfo@yahoo.it
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 04:58:54 -1200
Subject: IMPORTANT NOTICE

IMPORTANT NOTICE
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.

The objective is to make a notable change in the standard of
living of people all around the Universe (From America to
Europe, Asia to Africa and all around). The Vittorio
Foundation has been assured of highest organization standard
courtesy of the United Nations. It is our belief that we can
achieve a great positive change in the general welfare of
the universe through this program. That is why the
foundation is doing everything possible to get all
recipients notified of their donation.
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.

Kindly note that you will only be chosen to receive the
donation once, which means that subsequent yearly donation
will not get to you again. Take time and thought in spending
the donation wisely on something that will last you a long
time. Recipients are only eligible to be awarded this
donation once.
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:_

CITY: _
STATE:_ ZIP:
COUNTRY:
SEX:_ _ AGE:___
MARITAL STATUS:___
OCCUPATION:_
E-MAIL ADDRESS:_
TELEPHONE NUMBER:_
===========================================
Executive Secretary- Giovanni Galantu
Email: housninfo@yahoo.it

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 than15 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. Dim Jamanco
(Foundation officer)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam