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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

Fraud email example:

From: "World Online Sweeptakes" <onlineoffice@btconnect.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 03:25:15 +0100
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS....YOUR EMAIL WON OUR SWEEPTAKES JACKPOT CONTACT AGENT AT thpgray1@uk2.net

ONLINE SWEEPSTAKES INTERNATIONAL
NOTIFICATION DESK
Ref: UK/2790Z9/14
Batch: 095/07/GY479
DEVON, EX15 1BS
UNITED KINGDOM
 
We are pleased to announce to you the draw of the WORLD ONLINE SWEEPSTAKES PROGRAM held on TUESDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2007.Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 87475 with Serial number 42/05 drew the lucky number: 34 which subsequently won the prize. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of $2,500,000.00 (TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) in cash credited to file KTU/9023143268/07.
 
All participants for the online version were selected randomly from the World Wide Web through a computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online.This promotion takes place weekly.
 
To file for your claim, please contact our Fiduciary agent In charge:
 
MR THOMPSON GRAY
Tel: +44-701-112-9085,+44-704-574-8005
Email:thpgray1@uk2.net
 
The following data is required to process your lottery winnings.
 
1.FULL NAME:
2.DATE OF BIRTH
3.RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
4.SEX
5.OCCUPATION.
6.MARITAL STATUS.
7.NATIONALITY.
8.NEXT OF KIN.
9.PHONE.
10.MOBILE/FAX NUMBER
11.WINNING EMAIL ADDRESS.
Good luck from me and members of staff of the WORLD ONLINE SWEEPSTAKES
LOTTERY.
 
Yours faithfully,
Mr Richard Moore

THIS IS AN AUTOMATED EMAIL,DO NOT REPLY CONTACT THE FIDUCIARY EMAIL ABOVE TO CLAIM YOUR WINNINGS
--

Anti-fraud resources: