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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
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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.

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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
• 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.
  • floydgray@lycos.es

Fraud email example:

From: "IMPERIAL LOTTO" <imperiallotto@netscape.net>
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 23:45:03
Subject: This is NOT a Joke - Congratulations



IMPERIAL LOTTERY. S.L.
AVENIDA LOPEZ DE HOYOS 121,
28030 MADRID, ESPAÑA
WINNING NOTIFICATION
******************************************
Ref. Number:IL/35-W609674356
Batch Number:32/7024/0
Credited file Number:IL87/06/039/35ES
******************************************
Dear Sir/Madam,
Sequel to the lottery draw of the above named establishment in europe,conducted on the 26th of January ,2006.I am glad to notify you that your e-mail or your company email address attached to ticket No ;564 75600545 188 won in the second category a lump-sum of Eight hundred and sixty thousand seven hundred and fifty euros(Euros860,750.00).
Congratulations and be advised to keep confidential till your prize is processed to avoid multiple applications/filings.All participants were selected randomly by a computer software ballot device.
This promotion is sponsored by a group of corporate establishments and accedited charitable organisations all over the world.
To file for your claim,please contact your fiducial agent;
*********************************************
Mr. Floyd Gray
(e- mail:floydgray@lycos.es)
*********************************************
Congratulations once more,
Sincerely yours'
Dr. Ramon Pascual
N.B:
1.All claims are nullified after 30 working days from today.
2. Your Ref number must be in all your mails with the claims officer.
3. Do inform the claims officer of any change of names or addresses.
4. Do not reply to this email contact the claims officer.
5.Kindly state your credit file number when contacting the fiducial agent for your claim.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam