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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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.

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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)
  • "claims 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!

Fraud email example:

From: "LA PRIMITIVA LOTERIA ESPAÑA" <laprimitivalotto5080@msn.com>
Reply-To: b-banco@accountant.com
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:29:30 +0000
Subject: BEST REGARDS

LA PRIMITIVA INTERNATIONAL PRIZE AWARD DEPT.
FROM THE DESK OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT.
PLAZA DE COLON E-28830,MADRID, SPAIN,

ATTENTION:REF/EG/2551256003/05
          BATCH/000750013
 
RE: AWARD FINAL NOTIFICATION
 
This is to inform you on the release of the LA PRIMITIVA LOTTERY PROGRAM
held on the 23rd NOVEMBER 2005 Your e-mail attached to ticket winning number 0-1-5-1-2 with serial number 2113-05 drew the lucky referencenumbers /EG/2551256003/05 which consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category.
 
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of €420,000 ( FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND EURO ONLY) in cash credited to file with REF. NO. EG/2551256003/05 and BATCH NO. 000750013. This is from a total cash prize of 10,468,770 EURO (TEN MILLION FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EURO ONLY) Shared among 17 (Seventeen) international winners in this category. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
 
Your fund is now deposited with a Bank and insured in your name. Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account as this is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unwarranted taking of an advantage of this program by participants.
 
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 names from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, America and North America as part of our International promotions program which we conduct once every year. We hope your lucky name will draw a bigger cash prize in the next years highstake EURO 1.3 BILLION inter. lottery.
 
To begin your claim, please contact your claims agent, Dr David Brown, the foreign operation Manager of '' Bay Bank madrid Spain on the contact information stated below for the processing and remittance of your winning prize money to a designation of your choice.
 
Contact person: Dr David Brown
TEL:0034 610-912-790 Ex001
E-mail:b-banco@accountant.com
 
Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than, 29th OF JANUARY, 2006 this date all funds will be returned to the MINISTERIO DE ECONOMIA Y HACIENDA as unclaimed. And also be informed that 10% of your Lottery Winning will be paid to '' bay Bank after you have received your money.
 
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every correspondence with us or your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.
 
Congratulations once again from all members of our staff and thank you for being a part of our International promotions program.
 
BEST REGARDS,
MRS. MARIA GARCIA

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam