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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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 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.
  • +2348036724395 (Nigeria, 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.
  • tonywaps20@rediffmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "edu tony" <tonyedu23@mailbox.hu>
Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 02:21:40 +0100
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE WON $400,000


FROM:THE DESK OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR AND ON-LINE
CO-ORDINATOR INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRICE AWARD
DEPARTMENT AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL
SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY COPORATION.
ELETRONIC MAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION AWARD
PRESENTATION CENTER. AUSTRALIA.
WINNING
NOTIFICATION / FINAL NOTICE
AUSTRALIA LOTTERY INT'L.
5th Floor East Commonwealth Center
55 Currie Street
Adelaide SA 5000,
AUSTRALIA.

DATE: 17/5/2008
Ref:575061725
Batch:8056490902/188
Winning no:GB8701/LPRC:
RE: WINNING NOTIFICATION CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 17/5/2008
from the Australian International Lottery programmed. Which is fully
based on electronic selection of winners using their e-mail addresses from
some site. Your email address was attached to ticket number;
17212,serial number 7741137002.
This batch draws the lucky numbers as follows: 8382-42 bonus number
17,which consequently won the lottery in the second category. You hereby
have been approved a lump sum pay of US$400,000.00. (FOUR HUNDRED
THOUSAND DOLLARS) in cash credit file ref:ILP/HW 47509/02 from the total
cash prize shared amongst eight lucky winners in this category.

To file for your claim. Please quote your reference,batch and winning
number which can be found on the top left corner of this notification as
well as your full name,address and telephone number to help locate
your file easily. For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this
information confidential from the public until your claim is processed
and your prize released to you. This is part of our security protocol
to avoid double claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this
programmed by non-participant or
unofficial personnel.
Note,all winnings MUST be claimed before the 28TH 0F
Nov 2008; otherwise all funds will be returned
as unclaimed and eventually donated to
charity organization.
*PLEASE DO REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.
CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT AT
MR TONY WAPS
tonywaps20@rediffmail.com
+234-8036724395

ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TO
DISQUALIFICATION.
HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Simply contact your claims agent
MR TONY WAPS
tonywaps20@rediffmail.com
TEL:+234-8036724395
FILL AND RETURN THE FORM BELOW TO YOUR CLAIMS
AGENT.
FULL NAME............................
DATE OF BIRTH.......................
ADDRESS.............................
SEX.........................AGE.....
NATIONALITY.........................
OCCUPATION..........................
TELEPHONE.........................
EMAIL...............................
DATE................................
YOUR BANK NAME......................
YOUR BANK ADDRESS..................
YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER............*
Please quote your reference, batch and winning number which can be
found on the top left corner of this notification as well as your full
name, address and telephone number to help locate your file easily.

Congratulations once again on your winnings!!!
Best
Regards,
Mr Joseph Harrison.(Co-ordinator).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam