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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:

• 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:
  • "australian lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
  • "international lottery programme" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "00,000.00" (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.
  • paymentcenter1050@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <paymentcenter1050@yahoo.fr>
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:05:57 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE WON US$400,000.00,




FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARDS DEPARTMENT AUSTRALIAN
INTERNATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY CORPORATION;
DATE: 31/10/2008
REF NUMBER: 475061725
BATCH NUMBER: 7056490902/188
WINNING NUMBER: GB8701/L PRC
WINNER #6CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE WON US$400,000.00,
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 30th october 2008 from
the AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMMER,Which is fully based on an
electronic selection of winners using their e-mail addresses, Your name was
attached to ticket number; 470617250705649 0902 serial number 7741137002. This
batch draws the lucky numbers as follows 5-13-33-37-42 bonus number
17, which consequently won the lottery in the first category. You have been approved a
lump sum of Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars($400,000.00USD) in cash
credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/02 from the total cash prize shared amongst eight
lucky winners in first category.
All participant were selected through computer balloting system drawn form Nine
hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia,United States, Asia,
Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our international promotions
program which is conducted annually. This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by
a conglomerate of some international companies as part of their social
responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational
base. Furthermore your detail (e-mail address) falls within our NIGERIA
representative office in AFRICA as indicated in your play coupon and your
prize of Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($400,000.00USD) will be
released to you from this regional branch office in NIGERIA.

We hope with part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year high
stakes for US$2.6 Billion international draw. HOW
TO
CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Simply
contact our
fiducially Agent,
DR.MATHEW RALPHEL
Email address; paymentcenter1050@yahoo.fr

To file for your claim. Please quote your reference, batch and winning number,
which can be found on the top left corner of this notification from the winning
information you have given to this office concerning your prize money of
$400,000.00usd, which you have won, you are the Original winner of the prize
money.
1.FULL NAMES:________________________________
2.ADDRESS:___________________________________
3.SEX:_______________________________________
4.AGE:_______________________________________
5. NATIONALITY_______________________________
6.OCCUPATION:________________________________
7.BANK NAME:_________________________________
8.ACCOUNT NUMBER:____________________________
9.E-MAIL ADDRESS:____________________________
10.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_________________________
11.AMOUNT WON:_______________________________
12.MARITAL STATUS:___________________________
NOTIFICATION DATE:___________________________
ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TO
DISQUALIFICATION. In anticipation of your urgent response to this! For security
reasons, we advice all winners to keep this
information confidential from the public until your claim is processed=20 and
your prize released to you. This is part
of our security protocol to avoid
double claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this lottery programmer by
non-participant or non-official personnel. NOTE, all winnings must be claimed
before 14TH of November 2008, otherwise all funds will be returned as Unclaimed
and eventually donated to charity organization. How Long Until You Make
You're First Million? // $1 million ((c) George
Diebold/Solus-Veer/Corbis)
Congratulations once again on your winnings!!!
Best Regards
REV FR.DUCK MAYOR.
(Coordinator).
PLEASE REPLY TO THE EMAIL BELOW CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT;
DR.MATHEW RALPHEL
Email address; paymentcenter1050@yahoo.fr

YOU MUST CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT WITH THE E-MAIL ADDRESSES THAT HAVE BEEN
INDICATED FOR CLARIFICATIONS. Australian Lottery International coordinator (Announcer).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam