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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)
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • peoplesagents@netscape.net

Fraud email example:

From: "euro million" <euro_million20@msn.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 12:39:35 +0000
Subject: E-mail lottery online notification}.

FROM THE DESK OF VICE PRESIDENT
EURO MILLONES LOTTERY
MADRID - SPAIN
www.loteria.com

Dear Beneficiary

We are please to announce you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the Euro
Millones Lottery International Email Address draw on the 3rd of January due
to the mixture of names and address the result was released on the 7th
January 2006. All 10 winning addresses were randomly selected from a batch
of 50,000,000 international email addresses. Your email address emerged
alongside 9 others as a category 2 winner in the Euro Millones Lottery
Draw.

Consequently, you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of
US$950,000:00 (Nine Hundred And Fifty Thousand United States Dollars
Only).The following particulars are attached to your lotto payment order:

(I) Batch No: TTOW/1989/TAC
(ii) Ticket No: 777-312-009
(iii) Lucky No: 01-10-22-33-54
(iv) Ref No: WUMT/XX43/9000/LAES
(V) Serial No: MMUEU/U423/876

The Euro Millones Lottery Program internet draw is held once in a 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.

To claim your winning prize you are to contact the appointed agent as soon
as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:

MR.RONALD peters.
peoples agents
E-mail:peoplesagents@netscape.net
N.B:Steps to claiming your prize;

1.Please quote your Reference number in all correspondence with the claims
officer.

2. You must contact the appointed agent with your Full Names, Contact
Telephone Numbers (Home, Office and Mobile Number and also Fax Number) via
email to process the immediate payment of your prize.

3. Be informed that the appointed agent will be required to swear an
Affidavits of Lotto Claim and also obtain Approval Legal Clearance
Certificate from the Court here in Spain which is in accordance with the
European Union Financial Act 2004 on payment of International Lottery
Winners.

Please be aware that the PAYING BANK will Effect Payment Swiftly upon
satisfactory Report, Verifications and validation provided by this fiduciary
agent.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to you.

Once again congratulations!!!

Best regards,

Mrs.Cristy davids
Euro Millones Lottery.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam