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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Rita Osbourne" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fredrega@aol.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:01:47 +0100
Subject: Message From Rita Osborne

Dear Winner

This is to inform you that your email address has won £550,000.00 (Five hundred and fifty thousand British pounds) at our annual award computer balloting system. The winning number attached to your email address is (WINNING NUMBER: 4,8,13,30,36,41 and SERIAL NUMBER: 001-0433443-3484)
This is a millennium computer game in which email addresses were used and it is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users; therefore, you do not need to buy ticket to enter for the game or be a winner. The lottery is sponsored by a regional organization belonging to the World Lottery Association (WLA) which represents 147 lotteries from 81 countries, with combined annual revenues in excess of US $102 billion.
In your best interest, we request that you keep the entire details of your award strictly from public notice and to yourself only, until the process of transferring your claims is completed. This is in accordance with section 13(1) of the national gambling act as adopted in 1993 and amended on 3rd July 1996.This is to protect winners and to avoid misappropriation and double claims.
You have 10 working days to make your claims from the date this email is received, failure to make your claims application after 10 days, annuls your winning.

FOR IMMEDAITE CLAIMS:
Please respond by quoting the details below to your claims officer Fred Rega at fredrega@aol.co.uk
1. FULL NAME:
2. COUNTRY:
3. TELEPHONE:
4. WINNING NUMBER
5. SERIAL NUMBER:

Congratulations again. Your winning amount of £550,000 awaits your urgent collection.
Sincerely,

Rita Osbourne
Promotion Coordinator

Anti-fraud resources: