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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:
  • "australian lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  • mr.walkersmith@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • mr.walkersmith2@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "auslottery02 Gazeta.pl" <auslottery02@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: mr.walkersmith2@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2008 02:40:16 +0200
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!


FROM THE DESK OF THE MANAGEMENT
Australian lottery Inc.
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRICE AWARD DEPARTMENT.
REF N: AUS/475061725
BATCH N: 7056490900/188

RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION/ FINAL NOTICE


CONGRATULATIONS!

National Australian Lottery Incorporated wishes to inform you the
results of the E-mail address ballot lottery international program by
Australia held last month, Your email account have been picked as a
winner of ($500,000.00} FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ONLY.

This result is now released to you on 5th June 2008. And your email
address attached in the A Category. All email addresses were selected
through a computer ballot system in which your email address was
selected as one of the lucky winners. Your lucky number is:
65098765AUand REF N:AUS/475061725.

Be advised to keep your winning information confidential {VERY
SECRET}until your claims have been processed and your money remitted to you.

This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted abuse of this program by fraudulent and scammers.

All winning must be claimed not later than 17th of June 2008. After
thisdate all unclaimed funds will be returned to Australia as
unclaimed.Please note in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications
please remember to quote your reference number in all correspondence.

For the processing of your winning immediately please fill the form
below and submit to your claims agent: mr.walkersmith@yahoo.co.uk

MR.WALKER SMITH
EMAIL: mr.walkersmith2@yahoo.co.uk


Make sure all information is send to mr.Walker Smith correct and to
the best of your knowledge to avoid loosing your prize to someone else.

LOTTERY WINNERS APPLICATION FORM OF PAYMENT.

FULLNAME..................
BIRTH DATE.................
ADDRESS....................
SEX.......................
AGE........................
NATIONALITY...............
OCCUPATION.................
TELEPHONE..................
EMAIL.....................
DATE.......................
SIGNATURE.................
WINNER Ref NO.............

APPROVED FOR PAYMENT

Congratulations from the staff and thank you for being part of email
account users program.

BEST REGARDS
MARY CROWN (MRS)
(LOTTERY COORDINATOR)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam