419 scam: "FreeLotto.com®" <info@freelotto.com> Ref: Instructions On How To Get Your $5.7Million(Five Million Seven Hundred Tho

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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:

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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
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.
- macthompson@london.com (Outblaze.com, Hong Kong; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "FreeLotto.com®" <info@freelotto.com>
Reply-To: macthompson@london.com
Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 21:41:14 +0900
Subject: Ref: Instructions On How To Get Your $5.7Million(Five Million Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars).

Customer Service
45 TANFIELD AVENUE ,
CROYDON.LONDON
REF NO: NM/FTL5700431/LTC13
BATCH: MMP/143902/CF.

REF: INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO CLAIM PRIZE MONEY.

Dear Winner,
This is to bring to your notice that you are being waited for to re-confirm your information for further directives on how to get your prize money of $5.7million (Five Million Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars) paid to you as has been approved by FreeLotto.com®, this is has been credited to the file with Ref. No.: NM/FTL5700431/LTC13. You will adequately be paid by our pay out bank either through draft/cheque after proper identification has been carried out and sign your final fund release order.:

The information for re-confirmation are as follows:

Age:.......................................*
Sex:........................................*
Residential address:...............................*
Nationality:...............................*
Occupation:................................*
Post held:.......................................
Tel(s):....................................*
Fax:........................................
Income: ..............................*
Amount Won........................*

Those with asterisks are compulsory.

Ticket Number 25-457-169-9754, with serial number 8926TMS26345 drew the lucky numbers 26-13-03-32-29-11.

Send them to the Free Lotto Claim Agent, Mr. MacThompson Wilson on: macthompson@london.com, for verification and further directives on how to contact the bank for the payment of your prize money.

Sincerely,
Williamson Gary,
Foreign Service Department
Free Lotto Managements.

© 2011. FreeLotto.com®.

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Note: Persons under the age of 18 are automatically disqualified.Furthermore, this message has been scanned for possible virus (es) threat(s) by our virus scanner, its contents are highly confidential for the intended recipient, if received in error, please disregard and delete immediately. But if not, please do comply with the directives.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam