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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "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)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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.
  • rev_robeto25@yahoo.ca (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "REV. FRANK REV. FRANK" <rev_fack@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:19:16 -0800 (PST)
Subject: YOU HAVE BEEN INFORMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Ref: 435062725
Date:13/03/2006=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
Batch: 7050470902/189
Winning no: GB8101/LPRC
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 CONGRATULATIONS!!
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are delighted to inform you of your prize which was released on the 13TH=
of=A0JANUARY 2009, from the Australian International Lottery programme,whi=
ch is fully based on an electronic selection of winners using their e-mail =
addresses from some sites.
=A0Your email address was attached to ticket number; 47001725 07056490102 a=
nd serial number 7741134002. This batch draws the lucky numbers as follows =
5-13-33-37-42 and bonus number 17,which consequently won the lottery in the=
second category.

You hereby have been approved a lump sum pay of US$200,000.00 (TWO HUNDRED =
THOUSAND DOLLARS) in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/09 from the total c=
ash prize shared amongst eight lucky winners in this category. All particip=
ants were selected through a computer balloting system drawn form Nine hund=
red thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia, United States, Asia, =
Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our international promot=
ion program which is conducted annually.=20
This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomorate of some multinati=
onal companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in th=
e commmunities where they have an operational base. Furthermore, your detai=
ls(e-mail address) falls within our European representative office in Amste=
rdam, Holland as indicated in your play coupon and your prize of US$200,000=
..00 will be released to you from this regional branch office in ASIA. We ho=
pe that with part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year hi=
gh stakes for US$1.3 Billion international draw.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Simply contact our fiducial agent,REV. WILFRED 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 as well as your full name, addres=
s and telephone number to help locate your file easily. For security reason=
s, we advice all winners to keep this information confidential from the pub=
lic until your claim is processed and your prize released to you.=20
=A0
This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarran=
ted taking advantage of this programme by non-participants or unofficial pe=
rsonnel.

=A0Note, all winnings MUST be claimed by the 31TH of MARCH, 2009; otherwise=
all funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually donated to charity =
organisations.

PLEASE CONTACT REV. WILFRED, so that he will tell you of how you will recei=
ve your winning prize.

Name: REV. WILFRED ROBERT.
email: rev_robeto25@yahoo.ca

=A0Congratulations once again on your win!!!
=A0Best Regards (co-ordinator)
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY THIS EMAIL. CONTACT YOUR
CLAIMS AGENT AT ANY BREACH OF
CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT
TO DISQUALIFICATION=0A=0A=0A

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam