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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • agentofficebenin@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "mikeemma Gazeta.pl" <mikeemma@gazeta.pl>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 13:29:55 +0200
Subject: UNCLAIMED LOTTO PRIZE PAYMENT NOTICE


UNCLAIMED LOTTO PRIZE PAYMENT NOTICE
INTERNATIONAL LOTTO COMMISSION
JUAN HURTADO DE MENDOZA 6D 28044?
COTONOU,REPUBLIC DU BENIN.
UNCLAIMED LOTTO PRIZE PAYMENT NOTICE

Attention: Owner Of This Email Address.

Dear Sir/Madam,
CONGRATULATION!!!!!

You are a winner in the 2nd category of our Euroafric free Net Lottery
Promotional award draws held December 4th 2007.I am writing in respect to
your lotto winning prize of $950,000.00(Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand US
Dollars only) which you won through the email-ballot draws in our Euroafric
Lotto Award in 2007 in the second category prize winnings category.

We wish to inform you that your total prize money of $950,000.00 has been
returned to us by our Lotto claims agent as unclaimed prize after their
initial letter to your address for your payment was not replied to.You are
here by requested to contact our Treasury Office through this e-mail
address:(agentofficebenin@yahoo.fr) for your immediate payment.Our Treasury
officer's name is Mr. James Lukas; so refer this to him and contact him
immediately for your unclaimed lotto prize payment to you.

You should contact our Treasury Officer as directed above for your
payment,and do notify me as soon as you received your payment from our
Treasurer.

Thanks,
Dr. ELL MACK.
President; Int'l Lotto Commission

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam