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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million 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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348037445335 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • d_brown1970@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • brown1970@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: d_brown1970@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 2008 13:16:06 +0100
Subject: DEAR SHELL BENEFICIARY


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


======================================================================================Shell Industrial Area, Rumobiakani, Port Harcourt, Nigeria Tel: +234 803 744
5335

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*BATCH REF: NOV/008/YY
*
This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of three million
dollars (US $ 300000,00) for the 2008 International E-mail Draw which is
organized by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

SPDC collects all the email addresses of people who are active on the
Internet, among millions that subscribed to Yahoo, AOL, Walla, Gmail,
Russian Mail and Hotmail and few from other e-mail services. Six people are
selected each year to take this action, and you're one of the individual
winners.

The payment of premiums and claims

The winners will be paid in accordance with his / her Settlement Center.
Shell prize must be claimed no later than 15 days from the date of
notification Draw. Any prize not claimed within this period will be revoked
*
* Stated below your ID number:
*
REFERENCE NUMBER: SPDC-081511
*
This is one of the Nigerian location of a file, you are requested to contact
our fiduciary agents in Port Harcourt [Dr.Donald Brown] in the details below
and send your winning identification numbers to him;
*

E-Mail: d_brown1970@hotmail.com<http://us.mc1105.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to brown1970@hotmail.com>
TEL: +2348037445335
*
He immediately start the process, which will help release your fund to you.
Please kindly provided us with the following information to verify your
prize;

Claims Requirements
Full name .......................................
Address .........................................
Age ...............................................
Sex ...............................................
Nationality ......................................
Home phone #...........................
Mobile phone #..........................
E-mail .................................
Marital status ..................................
Occupation ......................................
Number .............................


Congratulations! again.
*

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

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam