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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:
  • "euro-afro-american-sweepstake lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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)
  • "hundred thousand united state 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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • euro_afro_usa_asia_aus.lotto@yahoo.co.uk
  • operations_agent@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Edward Spencer" <edward_spencer@usa.com> (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:31:01 +0100
Subject: HELLO

From: Mr.Edward Spencer.
Euro-Afro-American-Sweepstake Lottery
Headquarters: 1a, Bexon Court Carlton
Nottingham shire Nottingham NG4 1SQ Essex
United Kingdom
Customer Service: 580 NCA 85914
Ref: EAASL/941OYI/04
Batch: 12/25/DC34 RE:LOTTO.
E-mail:euro_afro_usa_asia_aus.lotto@yahoo.co.uk
CONGRATULATIONS WINNING NOTIFICATION .
Dear
We happily announce to you the draw of the Euro-Afro- American Sweepstake
Lottery International programs held on the 30th OCT 2007 in Essex United Kingdom.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: B9564 75604545188 with!
Serial number 97560 drew the winning: 01/10/11/18/19/46, which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category.
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$1.2M.USD.
(ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS) in cash credited to file KPC/9080118308/02.
This is from a total cash prize of US $120,000000.00
Million dollars, shared amongst the first One Hundred (100) luckywinners in this category world-wide.
Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our Afro booklet representative office in Africa as indicated in your play coupon.
In view of this, your US$1.2M (ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS) would be released to you by our agent in Germany.
Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.
All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site
through computer draws system and extracted from over 10,000,00 companies.
This promotion takes place annually. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your
claims is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner
you deem fit to claim your prize.
This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements. Please be warned. To file for your claim, please contact our corresponding agent in Germany immediately you read
this message for quick and urgent release of your fund, contact information is as follows. E-mail(operations_agent@yahoo.com)
Please be informed that all winning must be claimed on or before january 3rd 2008.
To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your reference/batch numbers in any correspondences with our designated
agents or us.
Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this program that has successfully won this competition.
Thank you for being part of our promotional lottery program.

Sincerely,
MR.EDWARD SPENCER.
United Kingdom Zonal Co-coordinator.

Mr. Alexandra Davis
United Kingdom zonal Secretary General.
Thank you for your Co-operation.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam