419 scam: "CONGRATULATION" <joy.smith20eric@aol.com> CONGRATULATION HURRY UP

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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:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
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.
- joysmithk52@mail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "CONGRATULATION" <joy.smith20eric@aol.com>
Reply-To: joysmithk52@mail.com
Date: Wed, 21 May 2014 22:06:45 +0100
Subject: CONGRATULATION HURRY UP

Attention
Dear Lucky winner , this is to inform you that your e-mail account has worn you a prize, your name was choosen as one of the lucky winner of the online lotory award drawn today by the shell oil company organize from Asia and Europern Country for the surport of the less previllage and individuals world wild.

We hereby advice you to contact your local agent bellow for more details with your online winning number bellow, follow by your full name and cell phone number to reach you asap

winning numbers are [ 2301MWS012 ] with file tagged number [XXXBZSKL] ,as soon as the required informations is confirmed to your local agent, kindly request for more details on how to proceed on your claim of the said prise worn ,the sum of $2,500,000 dollars, no tax is required as the shell oil company has taken care of the taxes involved by the IMF and other money monitoring teams that could stop the funds not to be avialable for withdrawal by the winner.

and which your priz worn has been approved to be credicted into an ATM smart card on your name and it is acessable at any branch of the ATM matchin world wide, hence you have the activation code, and which will be released to you with the full ATM package in due time after your claim process is complete,the full packaged including the ATMSmart card and the access Code, will be forwarded to your address by a courier service Fedex with a Fedex tracking confirmation number to monitor the package until you received it safely.

please be informed that The agent is to forward you copy of your winning certificate upon the receipt of your details confirmation asap

Kindly response to the agent in charge bellow:

joysmithk52@mail.com <mailto:joysmithk52@mail.com>

Mrs. Joy Smith, shall forward you more details, congratulation once again
Best Of Luck

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam