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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.

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

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "vittorio foundation" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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!

Fraud email example:

From: "Foundazion Di Vittorio" <admin@ecowas.com>
Reply-To: <mr_james.aviv@yahoo.fr>
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 23:10:59 -0600
Subject: Attn: Cash Winner



Congratulations The Foundazion Di Vittorio has chosen you, by the board of
trustees as one of the final recipients of a cash Grant/Donation for your
own personal, educational, and business development.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary program, We are giving out a yearly
donation of US$500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) to
10 lucky recipients, as charity donations/aid from the Vittorio
Foundation,ECOWAS, you are to fill the form below and send it back to the
Executive Secretary for verification. NO: (N-222-6747,E-900-56)

Full Name:______________

Address:______________

Occupation:______________

Country:______________

Telephone:______________

Sex:______________

Age:______________

Payment Remitance Contact
Mr.James Aviv

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam