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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims office" (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)
• 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.
  • riccardo_motta@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: NOREEN WILSON <wilson.24@osu.edu>
Reply-To: ldeptservice@hotmail.com
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:15:09 +0100
Subject: WINNING..........NOTIFICATION!!!




Dear Winner,

We are pleased to inform you that as a result of our recent
ITALIAN NATIONAL SUPERENALOTTO DRAWS held
on the 14th July, 2008. Your e-mail address
attached to ticket number: 27511465896-6410
with serial number 4204-777 which
consequently won in the 2nd category.You have therefore been approved
for a lump sum pay out of 1,500,000,00
{One Million Five Hundred Thousand Euros}.
Send following details in order to
fascilitate the processing your winning.

Name: .......................................
Nationality:.................................
Country of residence: .......................
Tel number: .................................
Occupation: .................................
Sex: ........................................
Date Of Birth:...............................
Winning E-mail Address:......................

You are requested to contact your claims
officer Mr.Riccardo Motta, to assist you
with the processing of your winnings
and subsequent payments. Email
address: riccardo_motta@hotmail.com

Sincerely yours,
Noreen wilson

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam