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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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:
  • "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")
  • "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.
  • equity28@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: EQUITY INVESTMENT <equity28@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 07:08:20 +0000
Subject: AWARD NOTIFICATION



UK INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY
PO BOX 1011
LIVERPOOL, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM.

FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF: EKS255125600304 AND BATCH NO: 54/1017/I

AWARD NOTIFICATION

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 19th of November,
2007 of winners of THE UK INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMS held on 18th of
November 2007 as part of our second quarter of the year bonanza.

You have won the UK International lottery; your ticket number
034-1416-4612 750, with serial number 6521-11 drew the lucky numbers
31-51-22-24-39-43, and
Consequently won the lottery in category C.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$1.2Million
in cash credited to file REF: EKS255125600304. This is from total prize
money of
US$16,800,000.00 shared among 14 winners
in this category. All participants were selected through a computer
balloting system drawn from 25,000 names from Middle East, Asia, Africa,
Canada, Europe and North America and Oceania as part our International
Promotions Program, which is conducted annually.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your fund is now deposited with EQUITY INVESTMENT LIMITED, a finance company,
insured in your name. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask
that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has
been processed and your money remitted to your account. This is part of
our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by
participants of this program.

We hope with a part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year
high
Stakes US$1.3 billion International Lottery.

To begin your claim, please contact your claims agent;

MR. MARK JOHNSON
EQUITY INVESTMENT LIMITED,
132 BLACKBURN ROAD,
BOLTON BL7 9RP ENGLAND,
UK.
TEL:447031970403

EMAIL: equity28@hotmail.com
for due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated
account of your choice.

Remember, you must contact your claim agent immediately, if you do not
contact then, all funds will be returned as unclaimed. All correspondences
to MR. MARK JOHNSON, should be sent by email, and must have this EMAIL
sent along with it and also, your FULL ADDRESS, YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE
and your EMAIL ADDRESS to which this email is sent, should be clearly and
BOLDLY WRITTEN IN YOUR RESPONSE with your claims agent.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to
quote your reference and batch numbers in every correspondences with your
agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform
your claims agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our
Promotions program.

Sincerely,

SHIRLEY JENSEN.
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
THE INTERNATIONAL LOTTO UK

N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to
Disqualification. Please Contact your claim agent at: equity28@hotmail.com

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam