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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • ",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)
• 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.
  • worldvisiongrant@aol.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mrs Sarah Green <sarahgreenbn@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 08 Sep 2007 19:32:46 +0100
Subject: Confirm your World Vision Grant


WORLD VISION UK,
Opal Drive, Fox Milne
Milton Keynes,
MK15 0ZR
United Kingdom
Registered Charity no. 285908

Dear Sir/Madam

This is to notify you that you have been chosen by the board of trustees of =
WORLD VISION UK (Non Government Organisation) as one of the final recipients =
to receive cash grant/donations for economic development, and poverty =
alleviation. In line with its aims, and objectives, World Vision UK in =
conjunction with European Union is giving out =A3100,000,000.00 (One Hundred =
Million Pounds Sterling) to 60 international recipients worldwide for =
Business development, charitable work, and poverty eradication.

Your email address was selected based on an internet random Selection =
exercise; you are therefore confirmed one of the lucky recipients entitled to =
receive GBP =A31,500,000.00 as cash grant from World Vision UK. You are =
required to Contact immediately the finance and Information officer below: =
for Qualification documentations, verification and Processing of your GBP=A3=
1,500,000.00, entitlement.

Finance and Information Officer:
Mr. Geoffrey Kenshole

Email: worldvisiongrant@aol.co.uk

Endeavor to quote your Qualification numbers (WV-369-2468, UK-101-83) in all =
your correspondence with Mr. Geoffrey Kenshole. Please note that these =
donations/Grants are administered by a UK Bank and therefore subject to UK =
Banking Laws. You are by all means advised to keep this whole information =
confidential until you have collected your cash grant, this is to avoid =
double and unqualified claim, due to beneficiaries informing third parties on =
cash grant donation.

On behalf of the Board, kindly accept our warmest Congratulations!

Yours faithfully,
John Gladwin
Chairman Board of Trustees.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam