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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 about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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.
  • charles71k@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs Franc Desmond" <fd4563@msn.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 14:29:30 +0000
Subject: AWARD NOTIFICATION

Administrative Department
Euro Internet Foundation
Ref: LSUK/2031/8161/06
Batch: R3/A312-60
Ticket No:56475600545 188

AWARD NOTIFICATION

We happily announce to you the draw (#356) of the Euro Internet Lottery
program held on the 10th of February 2006. Your e-mail address attached to
ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky
numbers: 8-9-10-19-33-11 which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd
Category. You have therefore been awarded the sum of $50,000(Fifty Thousand
United States Dollars Only) credited to file No: KTU/9023118308/05.

There was no actual individual participation in the draw. All winners were
drawn randomly from internet users through their email address on the World
Wide Web (Internet). This promotion takes place annually to encourage the
use of the internet.

You are to receive the sum of $50,000(Fifty thousand United States Dollars
Only) as your prize-winning funds. To file for your claim, you are to
contact the fiduciary agent: MR. CHARLES KEGAN for further instruction;
Email: charles71k@netscape.net; with your name, address, telephone number
and your winning ticket number quoted above, so that your winnings
certificate and all other relevant payment documents/paperwork can be
prepared in your name.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to you in
whatever manner you want. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid
double claiming and online interception of winning information. Please be
warned!

Yours faithfully,

MRS. Franc Desmond.
Online coordinator.

N.B: Please do not reply to this mail.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam