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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

Fraud email example:

From: "THE FREE LOTTO COMPANY" <lottofree4u2005@netscape.net>
Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 19:10:43 +0000
Subject: THE FREE LOTTO COMPANY

THE FREE LOTTO COMPANY
UK HEAD OFFICE
SUITES 23-30,LION TOWERS
CENTRAL LONDON
ENGLAND
Fax:+44-8701215588
www.freelotto.com <http://www.freelotto.com>
We are please to announce you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the Free Lotto
draw held on tuesday the 31st of january 2006. All 10 winning addresses were randomly
selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international emails. Your email address
emerged alongside 9 others as category 2 winners in this year's Annual Free
Lotto Draw.

Consequently, you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of
(?500,000) Five Hundred Thousand Euros only. The following particulars are
attached to your lotto payment order:

(i) Winning numbers: 37-13-43-85-67-11
(ii) Email ticket number: FL754/22/76
(iii) Lotto code number: FL09622SP
(iv)The file Ref number: FL/04/736207152/SP
(v) Serial number 3772-554

Please contact the under listed claims officer as soon as possible for the
immediate release of your winnings:

Mr Paulo Norman
Chief financial Director Dublin Branch.
The Free lotto Company
Email: paulnorms00@netscape.net


Once again on behalf of all our staff, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Yours Sincerely,
John Priestly
Promotions Manager
The Free Lotto Company
UK & Europe
N.B:
1.All claims are nullified after 30 working days from today.
2. Your Ref number must be in all your mails with the claims officer.
3. Do inform the claims officer of any change of names or addresses.
4. All winners under the age of 18 are automatically disqualified.

_______________________________________________________________

The Free Lotto Awards is proudly sponsored by the Microsoft Corporation, the
Intel Group, Toshiba, Dell Computers, Mackintosh and a conglomeration of other
international IT companies. The free lotto Internet draw is held quarterly every
year and is so organized to encourage the use of the Internet and computers
worldwide. We are proud to say that Over 200 Million Euros are won annually in
more than 150 countries worldwide.


Anti-fraud resources: