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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "international lottery programme" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +34676943038 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • mayor-agency@madrid.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: MRS.MARIA JOSE OTEGA <puertas_grande@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mayor-agency@madrid.com
Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:06:06 +0100
Subject: Your Email Won The Spanish Lottery Of this Year.(CONGRATULATIONS).


ONLAE LOTERIA COMMISSION

(Loter=EDas y Apuestas del Estado)
Loter=EDa Del Grande Romano, N=BA 23 Planta 6
28003, Madrid - Spain Tel/Fax: +34 676 943 038

FROM: THE DESK OF MANAGING DIRECTOR
CLAIM FILE NUMBER: ES/V-29085292286 =
02/11/2007
BATCH NUMBER: 42277566

ATTENTION: DEAR LUCKY WINNER,

RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION!
We are pleased to inform you today, 7th day of SEPTEMBER, 2007 of the =
release of the SPANISH SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY / INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM Held on =
the 28th SEPTEMBER, 2007. Your name attached to the ticket number 037 =
523-886-950 drew the lucky numbers 12-14-16-24-34-46 which consequently won =
the lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore been approved for a lump =
Sum Pay of $910,360.00 (NINE HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND =
SIXTY UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) In Cash Credited To File REF =
NO:ES/V-29085292286. This is from A Total Cash Prize of $28,556.740.00 =
(TWENTY EIGHT MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIX THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND =
FORTY UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) Shared among International Winners in this =
Category. CONGRATULATIONS!
Your fund is now deposited with a finance company insured to your name. =
Please note that your claim and batch numbers are the key to your funds, you =
are to keep them confidential until your claims had been duly processed and =
your money remitted into your Bank Account as this is part of our protocol / =
strategy to avoid double claiming or unwarranted taking of advantage of this =
program by participants. All participants were selected through a computer =
ballot system drawn from 27,000 names from Europe and America as part of our =
International Promotions programme which we conduct twice every year. We hope =
with a part of your prize you will take part in our next high stake of USD 1 =
2 BILLION INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMME.
To begin your claim, please contact your claim agent MR.PUERTA GRANDE, the =
Foreign Service manager of MAYOR SECURITY AGENCY S.A. On TEL: +34 656 307 574 =
, FAX: + 34 911 817 628 ,EMAIL:mayor-agency@madrid.com for processing and =
remittance of your prize money to a designated Bank Account of your choice. =
Remember, unless otherwise, all prize money must be claimed not latter than =
30TH November, 2007. After this date, all funds will be returned to the =
Ministerio de economia y Hacienda as unclaimed.
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delay and complications, please remember =
to quote your Reference and Batch numbers in every of your correspondence =
with us or your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of address, do =
notify your claims agent as soon as possible for any necessary reconciliation =
in your payment file.

Once again, Congratulations!!!

Sincerely:

MRS. MARIA JOS=C9 OTEGA.
Coordinator.
=

CLAIM REF NUM: ES/V-29085292286.BATCH NUM: 42277566

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam