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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: "CLAIMS DEPARTMENT" <freelottowinnings2005@walla.com>
Date: Sat, 1 Oct 2005 19:06:16 +0200
Subject: URGENT!!!


FROM: THE DESK OF THE E-MAIL PROMOTIONS
MANAGER,INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT FREE LOTTO MEGA JACKPOT,
INTERNATIONAL,CALLE SERRANO 90, MADRID SPAIN
MRS. RACHEL CARTER
RE: OFFICIAL PAYMENT NOTIFICATION

PAYMENT NUMBER : 0987987-ES
F.A.S.T. NO: 90/ES

Dear Tedendaan,
This email confirms that you have received from the FREE LOTTO WINNINGS
an official notification of your payment number in the
FREE AUTOMATIC SUBSCRIPTION TICKET GAME (F.A.S.T) played on August 31st,
2005 at our lottery office complex Madrid,Spain.
You have won a FREE LOTTO PRIZE OF (_1.500,000.00 EUROS) A prize pay out of your
winning has been approved by the FREE LOTTO WINNINGS GROUP. In
accordance with the Spanish award ordinance, you are authorized as the award
prize winner to request claims of your winning prize.
The FREE AUTOMATIC SUBSCRIPTION TICKET (F.A.S.T) GAME is an online
promotional program organized by the FREE LOTTO GROUP INTERNATIONAL. This
program is sponsored by COCA -COLA,VODAPHONE,MICROSOFT AND A HOST OF OTHER COMPANIES.
Your company or your personal email address, attached to winning number 12-23-34-56-61-90, With
serial number 976781, consequently won this lottery award.
A total of 500,000 different email addresses are entered for the
FREE LOTTO AUTOMATIC SUBSCRIPTION TICKET GAME (F.A.S.T). All email
addresses entered for the game are submitted by our partner international
email service providers/ marketing companies and public services providers.
Winners are randomly selected systematically through our Electronic
Random Selection System (ERSS). Your email ID or your company email ID was included among the
500,000 email addresses and entered for Batch 19765 with Ticket No.
0672312 and was luckily selected among 1-5 batch winners.
Note that the FREE LOTTO WININGS will remit prize pay out to
only winners who officially file in for their prize claims. You are to
choose one out of the listed option by which you want your prize
remitted to you:
(1) A certified Cheque will be issued in your name and couriered to your
resident address.
(2) Traveling to our office in Madrid for personal collection of winning prize.
(3) Transfering of fund to any Bank account of your choice in any part of the world.
You are required to file your claims by contacting the OFFICE Prize
Remittance Division EMAIL: freelottowinnings20@walla.com
Completely fill out the Claim Form - E provided herein and submit a
completed filled form via email to the Prize Remittance Division.
Your winning information has been provided above.
===========================================================================

1. FULL NAMES: ---------------------------------------------------------
2.NATIONALITY: --------------------------------------------------------
3. AGE ----------------------------------------------------
4. SEX: --------------------------------------------------------------
5. MARITAL STATUS: --------------------------------------------------
6. CONTACT ADDRESS: --------------------------------------------------
7. TELEPHONE NUMBER: ------------------------------------------------
8. OCCUPATION: -----------------------------------------------------
9. WINNING E-MAIL ADDRESS:-------------------------------------------
10.PAYMENT FILE NUMBER:----------------------------------------------
Please indicate \"X\" for the option you want your prize remitted to you.
Listed below is our payment modalities and option of payment.
(1) TRAVELLING TO SPAIN FOR YOUR PRIZE COLLECTION:
[.....]
(2) BY COURIER DELIVERY OF YOUR PRIZE CHEQUE:
[.....]
(3) BY BANK TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER
[.....]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS EMAIL WAS SENT FROM THE DESK OF THE ORGANIZATION PRESIDENT FREE LOTTO WINNINGS, ON BEHALF OF F.A.S.T GAMES 2005. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WINNING.
SINCERELY,
RACHEL CARTER,
GROUP PRESIDENT - FLW

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam