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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:
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "(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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • barr_michaelniltonchamber@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: BRENDA JOHNSON <telecom_lotto2007@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2007 04:43:08 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Winning Numbers: 08 15 30 31 34 43 40


Famfa Lotteries
Ref: ITTL/34117HPG/GRCC
Draw No.: 2245Category: 2B
Winning Numbers: 08 15 30 31 34 43 40
Batch Number: ATP/44863214257/3445328/563

Date: September 9, 2007

Congratulations.

We happily announce to you the draws of the Famfa Lotteries sponsored
Famfa Oil Ltd and supported by the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS). This was conceived with the objective of human growth,educational, and community development and held in the United Kingdom on the 14th July, 2007 in which you and (10) provisional winners were selected as winners under draw No. 2245.

To celebrate its 17th anniversary program, Famfa Olil Ltd in
conjunction with the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) is giving out a donation of GBP £9,000,000.00 (Nine Million Great British Pounds) to 10 lucky recipients. These specific lottery win/Grants is awarded to 10 lucky international recipients worldwide. Each lottery winner/Receipient will therefore receive the sum of GBP £900,000.00. It is our hope that at least 20% of the awarded funds should be used by you to develop a part of your environment or used to assist others positively.

We hope to make this a yearly program as it is our way of giving back
to humanity. The objective is to make a notable change in the standard
of living of people all around the Universe.

You may be wondering how you were selected. Your e-mail address
attached to ticket number: 08-04-33-38-BL-AU drew thelucky numbers: 08 15 30 31 34 43 40, which subsequently won you the lottery. All participants
were selected randomly through computer ballot draw system and from
150,000 individuals worldwide. 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.

For the purpose of security you are therefore strongly advised to keep
this award notification secret from public notice until your claim has
been processed and your prize money paid as this is part of our
security protocol to avoid duplicity of claims or misuse of this programme by miscreants and hackers. Thus, your prize award winning is confidential
as our winners are at liberty to remain completely anonymous until
payment is effected to the benefit of the beneficiary.

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 his/her donation/win will then be reserved for next year's recipients. On behalf of the organizers of this
laudable scheme, kindly accept our warmest congratulations.

Regards.
Mrs.Brenda Johson(COO, Famfa Oil Ltd)

PS:
Your payment will be processed and paid directly by the
Lottery/donation appointed agent in United Kingdom. You are therefore required to fill
the form below and email it to him for qualification documentation
and processing of your claims. After contacting his office with the
requested data, you will be given your lottery/donation pin number, which
you will use in collecting the funds.

His details are as follows:

Barrister Micheal Nilton
Lottery/Donation Agent
United Kingdom
Email:barr_michaelniltonchamber@yahoo.com

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




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam