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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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
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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• 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.
  • 006696594660
• 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.
  • coordinatorlim@she.com

Fraud email example:

From: "THOMAS WIGNALL" <promotion_list@she.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: coordinatorlim@she.com
Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 17:13:20 +0700
Subject: ASIAN WINNINGS NOTIFICATION!!!

DATE: 2nd OF OCTOBER 2005.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT.
PACIFIC PROMOTIONS ORGANIZATION PRIZE/AWARD
BANGKOK THAILAND.
BATCH: EGS/ 33504992/03: REFERENCE: 17/9918/IPD
ATTENTION: CONGRATULATIONS!
RE: PRIZE/AWARD NOTIFICATION.
This is to inform you of the release of PACIFIC PROMOTIONS ORGANIZATION PRIZE DRAW, held on the 5th of April 2004, but owing to some mix up of numbers and addresses and the holidays, the results were released on the 21st of December 2004.Your name was attached to ticket number 065-12855077-09 with serial number 77390-0 that drew the lucky numbers of 05-05-17-18-28-38, which consequently won the lottery in the 5th category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay of $800,000. ( EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS ONLY), in cash credited to file with REF:N.ZES/3662367114/18. This is from a total cash prize of 81,020.337.00, shared among the twenty-five international winners in this category.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Your fund is now deposited with our Financial Company Bangkok Thailand and insured in your name. Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award from public notice until your claim has been processed, and the money remitted to your account, as this is part of our security protocol, to avoid double claiming and unwarranted taking of advantage of this program by participants, as has happened in the past. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 names, email addresses & official addresses, from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, North and South America, Middle East and Africa, as part of our International Promotions Program. We hope your lucky name will draw a bigger cash prize in the subsequent programs. To begin your lottery claims, please contact our Co-ordinator as follows,
NAME: MR. ALBERT LIM
TEL: 0066 96594660.
EMAIL: coordinatorlim@she.com
Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than 30th of Oct 2005. Any claim not made by this date will be returned to HER MAJESTY'S DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. And also be informed that 10% of your lottery winning belongs to (THE PROMOTIONS COMPANY).Because they are the company that bought your ticket and played the lottery in your name.Note also that this 10% will be remitted after you have received your winnings prize, because the money is insured in your name already.NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in all correspondences with us, Furthermore, should there be any change of address, please do inform our Co-ordinator as soon possible. An original copy of your lucky winning ticket and your deposit certificate will be sent to you by Administrative Remittance Operation Manager of FORTIS INVESTMENT BANK BANGKOK THAILAND.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Once again from all members of our staff and thank you for being a part of our International Promotions program. We wish you continued good fortunes.
Sincerely,
DR. THOMAS WIGNALL.
VICE PRESIDENT
PACIFIC PROMOTIONS BANGKOK THAILAND

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam