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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "deadline" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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.
  • +447023052965 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: IRISH NATIONAL LOTTERY <agentrossverification@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2006 12:25:25 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CPEL/OWN/9876.



The Irish Lottery
P O Box 1010
11 G Lower Dorset Street,
Dublin 1, Ireland
(Customer Services)

Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369


IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:CPEL/OWN/9876.

Dear Winner,


I am informing you that you have been officially cleared for payment by our clearance committee Department.


The original copy of the certificate, together with a covering document (Money Laundering protection and Letter of Affidavit for Claims) from the Irish government stating that the money was obtained legally through their award winning lottery will be given to you as soon as you have signed all the necessary document for the fund release.

1. WINNING CERTIFICATE FROM THE LOTTERY PROMOTIONS.
2. WINNERS CERTIFIED CHEQUE.
3. CLEAR SOURCE OF FUNDS CERTIFICATES (C.S.F.C.);
4. CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN OF FUNDS(C.O.F.).

NOTE; The total amount you won has been insured to the real value and any amount cannot be deducted from it until it has been received by only you that is the beneficiary. This is in accordance with section 13(1)(n) of the national gambling act as adopted in 1993 and amended on 3RD July 1996 by the constitutional assembly.


Modes of Collection.

(A) Collection In Person: (Recommended)

You are scheduled to be at the OFFSHORE PAYMENT OFFICE for the processing and claiming exercise on or before 15TH OF OCT., 2006. You are advised to come with the following:-

1. International passport for identification and signature verification
2. 2 passport photographs
3. Your first email letter of notification

This option is recommended by the lotto management to clear doubts and unnecessary thinking.This is because we have had series of complaints from individuals that people are using our company name for various forms of indecent acts. So the lotto management would prefer beneficiary winners to come and verify things for themselves about their winning.


OTHER OPTIONS;

(B) Via Courier: An affiliated Courier to the Lotto management would be contacted, and your winning would be couriered to your location within 24-48 hrs as soon as you meet with their requirements.

(C) Bank Transfer: An affiliated bank to the Lottery company would be contacted, and your winning would be wired directly to your personal bank account in your location.

At this point, it is PERTINENT to EMPHASIZE that UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE WHATSOEVER does IRISH Lotto Committee charge any kind of fee or request for any amount of money from winners to process their claims, as beneficiaries are required to come personally to claim their winning. Whatever monetary commitments that MAY be required from winners are done at the SOLE DISCRETION of the Bank/Couriers delivering the prize, and all negotiations of such shall be between the winner and the Bank/Courier without any intervention from IRISH LOTTERYSWEEPSTAKES. Such charge usually includes delivery fee/Cost of Transfer.

Also be reminded that the deadline for the claiming of winnings is exactly two weeks after the receipt of this email. After this period, your cash prize will be deemed to have been forfeited by you and will be reused in the drawings in the next month`s edition of the lottery.


Good luck and Congratulations once again. Please send your response within the 24hrs of receiving this mail to me your fiduciary agent.

If there is anything that needs to be cleared, please feel free to contact me immediately.

Regards,


DR ROSS WASHINGTON
TELL: +44-702-305-2965
FIDUCIARY AGENT







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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam