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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: "Mrs. Jennifer Larry" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <azmibinharun020@rediffmail.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2014 14:27:15 +0400
Subject: Congratulations you are a lucky winner today

UK LOTTERY ORGANIZATION (UK.L.O) 83162
FREE TICKET & ONLINE PROMOTIONS
SWEEPSTAKE. NO: UK/1480/TH/6922

FEBRUARY 2014 YEAR ENDING ONLINE DRAWS ANNOUNCEMENT

Dear Lucky Winner,

As part of our Free Ticket/Online Lottery Awareness Program and Bonanza for February 2014 held in Bangkok Thailand, we have carried out “ACTIVE EMAIL ADDRESSES” computer draws in some regions. Note that the computer draws were based strictly and randomly on active email addresses of users that never played our lottery this year.

You have been officially certified a legitimate winner and beneficiary of US$4,600,000.00
Your email address drew the Winnings Lucky Number (W.L.N): 03 30 86 32 34 71 33. This makes you an international winner in your region. For details, guidance and processing of your lottery prize payment, contact our Appointed Claims/Processing Officer MR. AZMI BIN HARUN by email immediately citing the following rightful winners’ payment verification information:

*** First and Last names
*** Telephone & mobile numbers
*** Resident country, City, Address & Age
*** Winnings Lucky number and month of draw
---------Occupation and Job title ----------

The Contact Details are:

MR. AZMI BIN HARUN
EMAIL ADDRESS: azmibinharun020@rediffmail.com

If you are pondering how you won without entering the draws or purchasing the lottery ticket, then know that this very sweepstakes of February 2014 in which you have emerged as a winner was a free ticket online draws conducted on a computer balloting system using over hundred thousand email address. At the time of winners’ selection your email address came out among the first ten which won you the lottery in the first winnings category and entitles you to claim the complete sum of US$4.6Million without any hassles.

Congratulations from myself and the organizing team of the UK Lottery Organization.

Yours Sincerely,
MRS.JENNIFER LARRY.
HEAD, W.N.M DEPARTMENT
UK LOTTERY ORGANIZATION (UK.L.O)

Anti-fraud resources: