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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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)
  • "million 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)
  • "00,000.00" (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.
  • agent_kelvinalbertu@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: tinapa lotto <tinapamessage29@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <agent_kelvinalbert21@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:43:17 +0100
Subject: C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S, YOU HAVE WON ONE MILLION UNITED
STATES DOLLARS(USD$1,000,000.00)







Ref No: 12/0078/IPG Batch
No: EGS/20054117/08 Lucky
No: 05-06-12-14-38
Dear Sir/Madam,

!! C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S, YOU HAVE WON ONE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS(USD$1,000,000.00)!!


We are delighted to inform you of your prize which was released from the Tinapa International Lottery Program, which is fully based on an electronic selection of winners using their e-mail addresses from various sites.Your email address was attached to Ticket Number: 021 -7276083-04 and Serial Number: 31270-0. This batch draws the lucky numbers as follows.05-06-12-14-38 which consequently won the lottery in the second category.


You hereby have been approved a lump sum pay of (USD $1,000,000.000 ONE MILLION DOLLARS). In cash credit file ref: 12/0078/IPG from the total cash prize shared among eight lucky winners in this category.All lucky winners were selected through a computer balloting system draw from Nine hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia,United States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our international promotion programme which is conducted annually.

This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of some multinational companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have an operational base. Your prize of US $ 1,000,000,00 will be released to you from this regional branch office in AFRICA to your account number.And you are to note that your prize is insured. There will never be any deduction whatsoever from your insured prize. We the Tinapa lotto agency,insured your prize at the United Trust Bank, Nigeria. We hope that with part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year high Stake forUS $ 1.5 Billion international draw.

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Please contact the Agent immediately, So that your insured prize willbe transfered to you.
E-mail:agent_kelvinalbertu@yahoo.com
Contact person: KELVIN ALBERT
Send him the following:
1. Your full names......................
2. Telephone number.....................
3. Occupation...............................
4. Age..................................
5. Address....................................
6. Ref No....................................

Congratulations once again on your winning! Please do not reply to this Email again. Contact your claim agent.

ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION. THANKS.
CHARLES HOLMES.
COORDINATOR

_________________________________________________________________
Explore the seven wonders of the world
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=7+wonders+world&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam