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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
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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:

• 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!
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • +2348026623347 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "David Hart" <davidhart1@oceanicpromotions.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 21:37:13 +0000
Subject: Attn: Remittance of Your Lottery Payment

Following the fax received from HSBC Bank Plc, London, Uk in respect of a
satisfactory verification  report as regards to your lottery winning prize,
you are hereby notified that your winning sum has been  guaranteed for
payment. Be further informed that payment instructions have been forwarded
and  confirmation received via fax moments ago from HSBC Bank Plc in your
favour and the check of the sum of $230,640.00 has been prepared today in
your favour by HSBC Bank Plc,  London. You will be required to comply with
the following instructions, you are to make the payment fee  of the sum of
$170.00 (One Hundred and Seventy US Dollars) for the following:

1) Transfer Handling Charges: $100.00
2) Courier Charges (Responsible to ship your checks to your contact
address): $40.00
3) Insurance Coverage: $30
Total: $170.00

The above payment must be made only to the name of our account manager,
IPBN, with the below information:

First Name: JULIUS
Last Name: YOUWARI
Address: 30 Adetokumbo Street, V/Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
Question: My Color?
Answer: Blue

Payments should be made via Western Union Money Transfer for swift receipt
and MTCN # sent to me with email confirmation of payment.

Note that:
In accordance with article 58 sub-section 18 of the Nigeria banking
regulations, note that your total prize has been insured to its real value,
hence it cannot be deducted from as an internal control measure  to
safeguard from misappropriation of funds/under-payments by our bank. Please
treat this contact as  matter of urgency, your total co-operation is needed
for us to serve you better.

Attached is a copy of your prize money check in with your confidential
winning information:

Ref: AF/AM/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369
Ticket number: AA56475600545-188
Serial number 5368/02.

Please this information should be kept confidential until you have claimed
your prize money. As soon as the above payment is received with the full
name you wish to be on the check, the name and the date will be effected on
the check and shipped to your contact address.

Any prize money not claimed before the 19th of October 2005, will be
cancelled. Please call the remittance director Mr. David Hart on this number
+234-802 662 3347 as soon as you have finished with this message for
confirmation.

Best regards,
Mr. David Hart
Oceanic Lottery Promotions

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam