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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "claim shell2" <claimshell2@mobimail.mn>
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 02:27:10 -0700
Subject: Re: Your e-mail has won you $3 Million US


[image: Shell logo]Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria

=======================================================================================
Shell Industrial Area, Rumobiakani, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Tel: +234 806 562 3504
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*BATCH : JULY/008/YY

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of Three Million
United States Dollars (US$3,000,000.00) for the 2008 International E-mail
Draw which is Organized by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

SPDC collects all the email addresses of the people that are active online,
among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo, Aol, Walla,
Gmail<http://gmail.google.com/>,
Russian Mail and Hotmail <http://www.hotmail.com/> and few from other e-mail
providers. Six people are selected yearly to benefit from this promotion and
you are one of the Selected Winners.

PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM

Winners shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Center. Shell
Award must be claimed not later than 15 days from date of Draw Notification.
Any Prize not claimed within this period will be forfeited.

Stated below is your identification number:

REFERENCE NUMBER: SPDC-081511

This numbers fall within the Nigerian Location file, you are requested to
contact our fiduciary agent in Port Harcourt [Mr. Philip Durund] with the
details below and send your winning identification numbers to him;

E-Mail: claimshell@live.com

He shall immediately commence the process that will facilitate the release
of your fund to you.

Congratulations!! once again.

Yours in service,
Dr. (Mrs.) Lynda Johnson
[Publicity Secretary]*

Anti-fraud resources: