419 scam: "Ms. Roseline Anthony"<roselineanthony@rediffmail.com> The Good News You Have Been Waiting For

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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "million 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)
- ",000,000" (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 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.
- nathanielcole4@rediffmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Ms. Roseline Anthony" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <nathanielcole4@rediffmail.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2013 19:50:14 +0400
Subject: The Good News You Have Been Waiting For

THE NATIONAL LOTTERY, UK
LIFE CHANGING!

69 ELTHAM HIGH ST, LONDON SE9 1TT, UNITED KINGDOM

Dear Lucky Winner,

The year 2013 is drawing to an end. As part of our International Promotion, Awareness and Bonanza Program, we just carried out lottery computer draws in some regions using the COMPUTER BALLOTING TECHNIQUE (CBT). Note that the computer draws were based strictly and randomly on people/email users that NEVER played our lotteries.

You have won one Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) only. Subsequent to the Computer Balloting for Batch Number MFI/08/APA-43658 in your region, your name/email address drew Winning Number 03 30 86 32 34 71 33. The Computers used random sampling techniques to select winners.

The Prize Money is insured and with one of our National Lottery Bankers in United Kingdom. For guidance on how to process and claim your Lottery Prize Money, please contact the Claims/Processing Officer, MR. NATHANIEL COLE immediately by email: nathanielcole4@rediffmail.com

When you contact him, please quote your Batch Number and Winning Number. To avoid the incidence of counter claims and complications, you are advised to keep your WINNING confidential until after the claims. Under no circumstances should you disclose your Winning Number and Batch Number to anybody before claims. Claims must be made within one month of this notification; hence you are advised to treat with urgency. Terms and conditions apply.

Congratulations.

Yours faithfully,

Ms. Roseline Anthony

Lottery Promotion Team Manager.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam