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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "ELIZA CLINT" <customerservicemanager@thunderballlotukltd.org>
Date: Sat, 18 Jun 2005 14:33:56 +0000
Subject: YOUR EMAIL EMERGED LUCKY WINNER

FROM: INTERNATIONAL CHARITY/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT OF THUNDER-BALL UK LTD.

ATTN: Lucky winner,

Congratulations as you are among the lucky winners that were selected by an
advanced automated
random computer search over the internet as no tickets were sold for this
program, and thus have
been registered for further consideration in the THUNDER-BALL UK
INTERNATIONAL CHARITY program for the year 2005.

Lucky winners were selected at random via a computer ballot system drawn
from 5,000,000 email
addresses of individuals and Corporate bodies from Africa, America, Asia,
Australia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania.

Your email address drew ticket number 574-2005, serial number 04-45 and
lucky numbers 45-38-06-AA in the preference A252 Category. You have
therefore been awarded a prize sum pay out of
£2,500,000.00 (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds).

However there are only 3 prize payout in the A category, therefore it is of
utmost importance, that you carefully follow these instructions in claiming
your prize money in order to avoid mix up of winning information of any
kind, we request that you keep the entire details of your award strictly
from public notice until the process of transfer of your claims has been
completed, and your funds remitted to your account. This is part of our
security protocol to avoid cases of double claiming or unscrupulous acts by
participants/non participants of this program.

This notification does not guarantee immediate collection of prize money, as
all necessary paper work must be carried out. Your funds is insured to the
full value of £2,500,000.00 (Two Million
Five Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds).

For confirmation of your selection as a winner, you are TO FORWARD a copy of
this notification email to our director of operations with details below and
also give him a call:

Mr. Michael Foster,
Directors of Operations,
THUNDERBALL UK LTD,
Thunder-Ball House,
221 Albemarle Street,
London W1S 4BS,
United Kingdom.
email: michaelfoster_thunderbal@yahoo.co.uk
cc: mfoster_thunderbal@mail2uk.com
Tel: +44 7040120793
Fax: +44 8701223888

Congratulations once again from all staff of THUNDERBALL UK LTD and it is
our hope that you participate in any of our international programs in the
nearest future.

Sincerely,
Miss Eliza Clint,
Customer Service Manager,
Prize Award Department,
THUNDERBALL UK LTD,
Thunder-Ball House,
221 Albemarle Street,
London W1S 4BS,
United Kingdom.
prizeawardmanager@mail2london.com

NOTE: BE REMINDED TO KEEP THE ENTIRE DETAILS OF YOUR AWARD STRICTLY FROM
PUBLIC NOTICE UNTIL THE PROCESS OF TRANSFER OF YOUR CLAIMS HAS BEEN
COMPLETED, AND YOUR FUNDS REMITTED TO YOUR ACCOUNT.


Anti-fraud resources: