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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

Fraud email example:

From: "SHELL COMPANY" <infoshell103@torba.com>
Reply-To: davidcox73@live.com
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2008 09:29:03 +0100
Subject: SHELL WINNING NOTIFICATION 2008


[image: Shell logo]

*SHELL LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL. *
*PAYMENT CENTER.
WORLD LOTTERY.**
Ref: SHL/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369.

*
[image: The National Lottery Logo]
**
**
*AWARD NOTIFICATION FINAL NOTICE.*
**
*ATTENTION: Winner .*
**
*I am Mark Smith, the prize director representing the Shell International
Lottery Corporation .**The selection process was carried out through random
selection in our computerized email selection system from a database of over
21.000 email addresses drawn from which you were selected.*
**
*You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of
$500,000.credited to you batch and refrence numbers respectively below.*
**
**
*Ref: SHL/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369.*
**
*To file your claim contact the payment centre with your following
information:*
*MR DAVID COX *
*davidcox73@live.com<http://fr.mc275.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=davidcox73@live.com>
*
*+234 8059674024*
**
*INFORMATIONS FOR PROCESSING AND DELIVERY LOTTERY CLAIM
1. Batch
Number.............................................................................................................
2. Ref
Number................................................................................................................
3. Full
names...................................................................................................................
4. Contact
address..........................................................................................................
5. Telephone
number.......................................................................................................
6. Fax
............................................................................................................................
7. Sex
...........................................................................................................................
8.
Occupation.................................................................................................................
9. Date of
birth.................................................................................................................


* **
**
*
*
*Confidentiality Notice:*
*Please note that this email, and any files that may be attached to
it,is/are confidential and is/are intended for the sole use of the
individual(s) or entity(ies) to which it/they is/are addressed. Any
use,distribution,copying or disclosure by any other person or entity is
strictly prohibited under applicable law(s). If you received this email in
error,please notify the sender by return email and delete the original
message (making sure it is also deleted from the Deleted Items folder of
your mail client). *
*Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not
relate to official business of INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY and insurance shall be
understood to be neither given nor endorsed by INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY finance
and insurance when addressed to comet finance and insurance clients; and any
information contained in this email is subject to the terms and conditions
of the governing client's contract(s).*

Anti-fraud resources: