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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
  (+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:
  • "e.a.a.s " (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "fudiciary" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (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)
  • "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • unionsec63@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3aunionsec63@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "internationalboard Gazeta.pl" <internationalboard@gazeta.pl>
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 14:44:16 +0200
Subject: AWARD NOTIFICATION


MRS.CATHERINE RUDOFF
E.A.A.S Lottery Headquarters:
Customer Service, 842 N. Tenth Street,
Sacramento, 95841.
EURO-AFRO-ASIA SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY.
an Affiliate of Fundmoney International.
Arena Complex km 17 Route de
Rufisqe. DATE: 04/06/08
I.P.P Award Dep..
BRUSSELS BELGIUM.
ATTENTION
.
RE:AWARD NOTIFICATION FINAL NOTICE:
We are pleased to announce to you today the 4TH DAY OF JUNE 2008 on the
result of Euro-Afro-Asia Sweepstake lottery International promotion program
held on 5th of May 2008 in Brussels.
Your E-mail address attached to ticket No: 022-11879443 with serial number
3214-07 drew the lucky numbers of 11-29-37 39 which subsequently won the
lottery in the 2nd Category. CONGRATULATION!!!
You are therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of €815.950(EIGHT
HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTY € ONLY)by cheque in cash
credited to file with REF/NO :EML/2551256002/0XX.This is from a total cash
prize of €17,550.340.00(SEVENTEEN MILLION,FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND
THREE HUNDRED AND FOUTY EUROS ONLY) shared among 32 international winners in
this category.All participants were selected through a computer ballot
system drawn from 250.000.00 individuals and companies from arround the
world as part of our international promotion program which we conducted in
Note:that your lucky winning number falls within our Asia booklet
representative in
Madrid Spain as indicated in our play coupon trusted by millions accross the
globe and sponsored by Sultan of Brunei, Bill Gates of Microsoft and his
associates to encourage the use of internet and computers worldwide.
In view of this, your cheque of €815,950.00 would be released to you by our
fudiciary agent in spain as soon as you contacted him.
Our fudiciary agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the
release of your cheque immediately you contact him. Due to mixed up of
e-mail and names,You are advice to keep this award from public notice untill
your claims has been processed and your cheque remitted to your nominated
address to avoid double claiming and unwaranted taking advantage of this
program by participant. Please be warned.
To begin your award claim,please contact our fiduciary agent
Foreign service manager DR. JUAN PABLO via
E-mail:unionsec63@yahoo.com<E-mail%3Aunionsec63@yahoo.com>with your
full names, marital status/sex, home contact address/s or better
still via Tel 0034 655 761 733

Fax: 0034 917 905 355.
Congratulations, once again from all members and staffs of this
program.Thank you for being part of this program.Our special thanks and
grattitude to Sultan of Brunei, Bill Gates of microsoft and all his
associates.
.
Sincerely,
MRS CATHERINE RUDOFF
ERUO-AFRO-ASIA Zonal Co-ordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam