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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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)
  • ",500,000" (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)
• 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.
  • mrriccardomotta11@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: infoitalianlotto1@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:44:15 -0500
Subject: WINNING..........NOTIFICATION!!!

ITALIAN SUPERENALOTTO 2008
PREMIO DEPARTMNT,
EDIZIONE DEL INTERNET,
VIA GARIBALDI 35,
21000 ROME,
ITALY.

Dear Winner,

NOTIFICA DEL PREMIO:CONGRATULAZIONI!!!

We are pleased to inform you that as a result of our recent ITALIAN NATIONAL SUPERENALOTTO DRAWS held on the 20th of
January, 2008. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 27511465896-6410 with serial number 4204-777 which
consequently won in the 2nd category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of €1,500,000,00 {One Million Five Hundred Thousand Euros}.Note
that all participants in this lottery program have been selected randomly through a computer ballot system drawn from
over 200,000 companies and 30,000,000 individual email addresses from all search engines and web sites.

This program is strictly for international participants ONLY!

You have to send following details in order to facilitate the processing and release of your winning.

Name: ...........................................
Nationality:....................................
Country of residence: ..................
Tel number: ..................................
Occupation: ..................................
Sex: ..............................................
Date Of Birth:................................
Winning E-mail Address:...............

This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claims and unwarranted abuse of this program by some
participants.You are requested to contact your claims officer Mr.Riccardo Motta, to assist you with the processing of
your winnings and subsequent payments. Email address: mrriccardomotta11@hotmail.com

Sincerely yours,
Mrs. Anna Giordano

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam