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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• 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")
  • ",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)
  • "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!

Fraud email example:

From: "MC DANALD'S" <mcdanalds03@unimail.mn>
Reply-To: swiftexpressng@post.ro
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:53:08 -0700
Subject: ATTENTION: Sir/Madam,


*MC DONALD's REST.
11 - 59 High Road
East Finchley London
N2 8Aw,
London,ENGLAND.*


* FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
Mc DONALD'S PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF:EE/EGS/16-DD2751144 AND BATCH NO:53/1014/NBM.*

* ATTENTION: Sir/Madam,
RE/AWARD NOTIFICATION*

*We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today 26th of JUNE, 2008,
of winners of THE Mc DONALD'S PROMOTIONS PROGRAMS held on the 31th of
DECEMBER, 2007 as part of our FIRST QUARTER of the year bonanza.*

*You or your company, attached to ticket number 034-1416-4612-750, with
serial number 6521-11 drew the lucky numbers 31-51-22-24-39-43, and
consequently won the lottery in category B.*

*You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$2,500,000 in
cash credited to file REF:EE/EGS/16-DD2751144*

*This is from total prize money of US$12,500,000.00 shared among 5 winners
in this category. All participants were selected through a computer
balloting system drawn from 96,000 names from Middle East, Asia,Africa,
Canada, Europe and North America and Oceania as part our International
Promotions Program, which is conducted annually.*

* CONGRATULATIONS!*

*Your fund is now deposited with SWIFT EXPRESS SREVICE, a security House
insured in your name. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names,we ask
that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has
been processed and your money remitted to your account. This
is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous
acts by participants of this program.*

*We hope with a part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year
high stakes US$1.3 billion International Lottery.*

*To begin your claim, please contact your claims agent;*

*
SWIFT EXPRESS SREVICE LIMITED,
LONDON,
EMAIL:swiftexpressng@post.ro <EMAIL%3Aswiftexpressng@post.ro>*

* *

*for due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated
account of your choice.*

*should have this EMAIL sent along with it and also, your FULL ADDRESS, YOUR
COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE and your EMAIL ADDRESS to which this email is sent,
should be clearly and BOLDLY WRITTEN IN YOUR RESPONSE with your claims
agent.*

*NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your
correspondences with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change
of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.*

*Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of
our promotions program.*

* Sincerely,*

* MC DONALD's REST.
11 - 59 High Road
East Finchley London
N2 8Aw,
London,ENGLAND.*

*N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result
to disqualification. Please do not reply to this mail. Contact your
claims agent
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam