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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
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• 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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: barrister usman ali <brrusman@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:06:49 +0000
Subject: YOUR WINNING TICKET NUMBERS AND FULL DETAILS NEEDED.






FROM:BARRISTER USMAN DANFODIO ALI
FIDUCIARY AGENT EURO-AFRO ASIAN SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL .OFFICE ADDR: NO.18/19 LISMA GARDEN AVENUE.3RD FLOOR NO. 16 RHODEX BUILDING.JAKARTA INDONESIA.

ATTENTION,

YOUR MAIL HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND I WISH TO INFORM YOU THAT THIS PROGRAM IS REAL AND NOT A JOKE AND IT IS SPONSORED BY TWO MAIN WORLD KNOWN PROMINENT PERSONALITIES.HIS HIGHNESS SULTAN OF BRUNEI AND BILL GATES OF MICROSOFT TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF INTERNET AND COMPUTERS WORLD WIDE.YOUR WINNING TICKET NUMBERS SUPPOSE TO BE CONTAINED IN THE NOTIFICATION EMAIL SENT TO YOU. YOUR WINNING TICKET NUMBERS STARTS WITH EAASTL........ NOTE THAT WITHOUT YOUR WINNING TICKET NUMBERS YOUR CHEQUE CANNOT BE DELIVERED TO YOU. KINDLY READ THROUGH THE NOTIFICATION MAIL, I BELIEVE YOUR WINNING TICKET NUMBER MUST BE INCLUDED THERE.

ALL WINNERS WERE SELECTED RANDOMLY THROUGH A COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM DRAWN FORM 25,000 COMPANY EMAIL ADDRESSES AND 30,000,000 INDIVIDUAL EMAIL ADDRESSES FROM AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, AMERICA, EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA, AFRICA AND ASIA AS PART OF INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS PROGRAM, WHICH IS CONDUCTED ANNUALLY.

TO FILE YOUR CLAIM, YOU HAVE TO FORWARD YOUR DETAILED INFORMATIONS TO ME. AS YOUR ATTORNEY/FIDUCIARY AGENT, IT IS MY DUTIES TO DIRECT AND ENSURE THAT YOUR CHEQUE IS DELIVERED TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT FURTHER DELAYS.

YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS, PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER, OCCUPATION, AGE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY YOUR TICKET NUMBER FOR CONFIRMATION TO FACILITATE THE DELIVERY OF YOUR CHEQUE TO YOUR NOMINATED ADDRESS.

I WILL BE WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

ONCE AGAIN CONGRATULATIONS!


BARR. USMAN DANFODIO. ESQ.
ATTORNEY/FIDUCIARY AGENT.
EURO-AFRO ASIAN SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam