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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!
  
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• 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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "part of our security protocols" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was sent to thousands of people)
• 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 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.
  • winnings@gmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: Susan Campbell <lotto.notifications@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 16:07:58 -0700
Subject: 2005 AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION.


AUTOMATED EMAIL LOTTERY PROGRAM
WATFORD,
UNITED KINGDOM.


REFERENCE NUMBER: ALP/653/029/05
BATCH NUMBER: AT-040-SB06-03


Dear Beneficiary,

We are pleased to announce the results of the draws of the Automated Email
Lottery Program held on the 8th October,2005 in Watford,United
Kingdom.Youremail address attached to Serial Number 2-562-765 drew the
lucky numbers
9-14-8-10-3-12 which consequently won in the 2nd Category.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of $1,000,000(One
Million United States Dollars.) All participants for this year's program
were selected randomly through a computer ballot system drawn from
15,000,000 email addresses from search engines and websites spanning across
Australia,New Zealand, America,Europe, North America, Africa and
Asia.ThisPromotional Lottery Program is conducted annually to create
the awareness
and encourage the use of computers and the internet worldwide.This program
is being promoted and sponsored by some eminent personalities like Bill
Gates of Microsoft Incoperation,Micheal Dell of Dell Computers,the Sultan of
Brunei and a host of some philantropic organisations.

To file your claim, please contact your Claim Agent:

Name: Mr.Jim Wang
Email: lottery.winnings@gmail.com


Due to regulations and privacy policies, we ask that you keep your winning
information confidential until you complete the process of filing your
claim. This is part of our security protocols to avoid double claiming and
impersonation. Remember, all prize monies MUST be claimed not later than
30th November,2005. After this date,prize monies will be rendered
'unclaimed' and turned over to next year's slot.You are thereby advised to
avoid any delays.


NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in all correspondencies
with your claim agent.Winners below 18 years of age are automatically
disqualified from processing their claim.

Furthermore,should there be any change of your email address, do inform your
claim agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations once again on behalf of our sponsors and staffs of the
program.

Sincerely,

Susan Campbell

Program Director,
Automated Email Lottery Program.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam