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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • agentkevin06@netscape.net
  • bingolotto@zwallet.com

Fraud email example:

From: bingolotto <bingolotto@zwallet.com>
Reply-To: bingolottoclaim@zwallet.com
Date: Mon, 06 Mar 2006 12:55:52 +0100
Subject: Congratulations, You Have Won US$500,000.00


NOTICE...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
BINGO E-MAIL LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
BATCH NO: 002312/06/12098/BLT
REF. NO: BLT/564897912/5431/06
WINNING NOTIFICATION / FINAL NOTICE...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
This is to inform you of the release of the E-MAIL LOTTERY BALLOT
INTERNATIONAL/ WORLD GAMING BOARD held in Italy on the 31st December
2005.
Your name attached to ticket number 00981 with Serial number 612301 drew the lucky numbers of 08-15-70-25-03-74, which consequently won the lottery in the 1st category.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payment of Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ( US$500,000.00 ) only, which is deposited in your favour as beneficiary and covered with HIGH INSURANCE POLICY. It is important that keep your winning confidential to avoid people garnering your information and subsequently making claim with your winning paraphernalia information, Bingo lottery international will decline payment if such irregularity occurs.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from only Microsoft users from over 20,000.00 companies and 3,000,000.00 individual email addresses and names from all over the world. To begin your lottery claim, please
contact your claims agent below on or before the 6th of March 2006.
CONTACT NAME: KEVIN ADAMS
EMAIL: agentkevin06@netscape.net
It is imperative that you contact your assigned payment officer within the stipulated period of time. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in subsequent promos.
Please note in order to avoid preventable delays and complications please remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all correspondence.
Furthermore, should there be any change of address do 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.
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Angela Vagnone
Vice President
Bingo Lotto International
bingolotto@zwallet.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam