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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "fondazione di vittorio" (not involved with lotteries)
  • "vittorio foundation" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
  • "hundred thousand us dollars" (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)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • italiancharity@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • ricardovaran@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: ITALIAN CHARITY FOUNDATION <italiancharity@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: ricardovaran@sify.com
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:36:23 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: ITALIAN CHARITY FOUNDATION SCHEME


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: italiancharity@yahoo.com



- ITALIAN CHARITY FOUNDATION SCHEME,Corso Ercole I d Este 44,Ferrara 44100 - Italy. http://www.fondazionedivittorio.it .This is to notify you that you have been chosen By the Board of trustees of the above International charity organization based in Italy as one of the final recipients of a Cash Grant/Donation for your own personal,education and business development (Fondazione Di Vittorio) was established 1977 by the Multi-Million groups,it was conceived with the objective of Human Growth, Educational and Community development. In line with the 28 years anniversary program this year the Vittorio Foundation in conjunction with the Economic community for West Africn States (ECOWAS) , United Nations Organization (UNO) and the European union, is giving out a yearly donation of five Hundred Million United States Dollars as specific Donations/Grants to 150 lucky international recipients worldwide in different categories for their personal Business development and uplift of their !
enviroment. These funds are freely given to you to usefor your business educational and personal development, and at least 30% to be used by you to develop a part of your enviroment, as this is a yearly program, which is a measure of universal development strategy, and eradication of poverty. Please kindly note that you are not the only beneficiary in your country this year, and your country is not the only country that is benefiting from this donation, as beneficiaries have been chosen from countries from all continents. The idea of this donation is that within ten years from now, there will be notable richness among many unusual people around the world. This will give many people the opportunity to get their lives to a stage where they had always wanted. Kindly note that you will only be chosen to receive the donation once, which means that subsequent yearly donation will not get to you again, so its your choice to spend the donation wisely on something that will last you!
a long time. And please do not bother following up this email, if you
have benefited from this donation in previous years. Based on the random selection exercise of internet websites and millions of Super market cash invoices worldwide you were selected among the lucky recipients to receive the award sum of US$3.3m (three million,three hundred thousand US Dollars) as charity donations/aid from the Vittorio Foundation, ECOWAS and the UNO in accordance with the enabling act of Parliament. (note that your email was selected from either the internet, after absolute viewing of your profile or a Shop's cash invoice around your area in which you might have purchased something from). You are required to expeditiously Contact the Executive Secretary below filling in and submitting the necessary processing information to him for qualification documentation your Qualification Numbers is (N-222-6747, E-900-56)VERIFICATION AND FUNDS PLEASEFORM1.FULLAMES:----------------------------------------2.HOMEADDRESS:-------------------------------------3.SEX: -----!
-----------------------------------------4.AGE:-----------------------------------------------5.MARITAL STATUS:------------------------------------6.OCCUPATION:----------------------------------------7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:------------------------------------8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:----------------------------------9.CITY:----------------------------------------------10. STATE:-------------------------------------------11. COUNTRY------------------------------------------12. Qualification Numbers ---------------------------You are required to send your information to the email address below. ( ricardovaran@sify.com) Executive Secretary,Mr. Riccardo Varanini

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam