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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• 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.
  • 500@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: Nina Brown (Mrs.) <lotoesp@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: eurocity1_500@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 17:55:53 +0100
Subject: RE : AWARD NOTIFICATION FINAL NOTICE.


RE : AWARD NOTIFICATION FINAL NOTICE.
Ref. Number: 919347/749-0
Batch Number: 3566465021-0TA/03
Ticket Number: G276017-487
ATTN: BENEFICIARY,
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners
International programs held in Dominican Republic on the18TH AUGUST 2003.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number G276017-487 with Serial Number 493-678 drew lucky numbers 7-28-87-65-69-73, which consequently WON in the 1st category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of USD 615,810.00 ( SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND TEN UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) CONGRATULATIONS!!!
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 into your account information. 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 over 20,000
company and 30,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over the world. This promotional lottery program takes place every three year and is being sponsored by Bill Gates, President of the World Largest software, we hope with part of your winning you will take part in our next subsequent stake that will be held in March 2005 of US$20 Million international lottery.
To file for your claim, please contact our FIDUCIAL Agent JOSE GARCIA OF EUROCITY SECURITY COMPANY S.A. Tel/: + 34-654-774-344 fax + 639-936-242 And Email eurocity1_500@yahoo.com for your Winning- Processment, Legal documentations and Claim:
Please be aware that the Paying Bank will Effect Payment Swiftly upon satisfactory Report, Verifications and validation provided by our processing Agent; that would be designated to your file. December, all winning must be CLAIMED not later than 20th March 06. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake. Please note that in order to avoid unnecessary delay and complications please
remember to quote your reference information's in all correspondence. Furthermore,
should there be any change of contact information, please inform our Agent 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 AUTOMATICALY DISQUALIFIED.
Yours Sincerely,
Nina Brown (Mrs.)
Lottery Coordinator
OPTI-TRUST AGENCY

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam