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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:
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +447031845784 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • rowandvid@yahoo.es

Fraud email example:

From: "EUROPE LOTTERY WINNERS" <latesteurowinners@msn.com>
Reply-To: dollymich@minister.com
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 20:56:13 +0000
Subject: YOU ARE A WINNER!!!

YOU ARE A WINNER!!!
FROM THE DESK OF THE LOTTERY COORDINATOR,
Europe INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL LOTTERY PROGRAM
Liverpool, UNITED KINGDOM.

INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL LOTTO PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD.
BATCH NO: WIELP/LP/1209/00067/002
REF. No: WIELP/LP/37239/80327/662

WINNING NOTIFICATION / FINAL NOTICE, END OF THE YEAR SWEEPSTAKES

This is to inform you of the release of the Europe INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL
LOTTERY BALLOT INTERNATIONAL/ WORLD GAMING BOARD held on the 15th of
DECEMBER 2005 and the results released on the 18th of DECEMBER, 2005.

Your email address attached to Ticket No:00430 with Serial No 31602
drew the lucky numbers of 21-14-00-25-45-92 which consequently won the
lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore been approved for a
lump sum
payout of $800,000.00 Dollars (Eight Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars)
in cash credited to file REF. No: WIELP/LP/37239/80327/662. This is
from a
total cash prize of $23.7million United States Dollars shared among
several
international lucky winners in the premium, 1st, 2nd and 3rd categories
respectively. Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you
keep
your winning information confidential until your claims has been
processed
and your money Remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol
to
avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some
participants.

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn
from only Microsoft users from over 350,000 companies, and 25,000,000
individual e-mail addresses all over the world.To begin your lottery
claim,
do
contact the claims manager with the information below:

MR. Rowan David (AGENT)
CLAIMS MANAGER
Europe INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL LOTTO PROGRAM
rowandvid@yahoo.es
Tel: +44 703 184 5784

Note that all winning must be claimed not later than two week after the
receipt of this e-mail. After this period all uncaimed funds will be
included in the next stake. Please note in order to avoid unnecessary
delays
and complications do remember to quote your reference number and batch
numbers in all correspondence.

Furthermore, should there be any change of address do not hesitate
inform your claims manager as soon as possible.

Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for
being part of our promotional program.

NOTE: Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Dolly Michaels
Lottery Coordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam