419 scam: "AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMME"<anonymous@earthlink.net> CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOUR EMAIL HAVE WON FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS($500, 0

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
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)
- "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- "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 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.
- +2348029885455 (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.
- revmorgancosta0222@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMME" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <revmorgancosta0222@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:58:22 +0100
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOUR EMAIL HAVE WON FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS($500, 000)

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMME
7th Floor East
Commonwealth Center
55 Currie Street
Adelaide SA 5000,
South Australia.

Date 20/12/2009
Ref: 475061725
Batch: 7056490902/188
Winning no: GB8701/LPRC

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 20th of December, 2009
>From the Australian International Lottery programmer which is fully
based on an
Electronic selection of winners using their
E-mail addresses form some site. Your email address was attached to ticket
Number; 47061725 07056490902 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 second category.

You here by have been approved a lump sum pay of US$500,000.00 ( Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/02 from the total
Cash prize shared amongst eight lucky winners in this category. All
participants
Were selected through a 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
multinational
Companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the
communities where they have operational base.

Further more your details(e-mail address) falls within our European
Representative office in Amsterdam, Holland, as indicated in your play coupon
And your prize of US$500,000.00 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 ?7.8 Billion Great Britain Pounds
international draw.

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE:
Simply contact our fiducially agent, REV MORGAN COSTA at
revmorgancosta0222@yahoo.com.hk, Tel :+234 802 988 5455 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, address and
telephone number to help locate your file easily. For
Security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information confidential
>From the public until your claim is processed and your prize released to you.

This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted
taking advantage of this programmer by non-participant or unofficial
personnel.

NOTE
All winnings MUST be claimed by the 10th of January, 2010, otherwise all
Funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually donated to charity
organizations.

Congratulations once again on your winnings!!!
Best Regards Carol Sweet(co-ordinator)

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT AT
revmorgancosta0222@yahoo.com.hk
Tel:+234 802 988 5455

ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS
WILL RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION.

To file for your claim, please kindly fill out the claim form below and e-mail
it to our fiduciary agent, with the contact below.

1. FULL NAMES: __________________________________
2. ADDRESS: _____________________________________________
3. SEX: _______________
4. AGE: ________
5. MARITAL STATUS: ___________________
6. OCCUPATION: ________________________
7. E-MAIL ADDRESS: _____________________________
8. TELEPHONE NUMBER: _____________________
9. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL___________
10. AMOUNT WON: ___________________________________
11. COUNTRY________________________________

ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION.

s.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam