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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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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:

• 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:
  • "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.
  • claims_officer@lycos.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS. CINDY PARKER" <cindy_parker@k.ro>
Reply-To: claims_officer@lycos.co.uk
Date: Fri, 12 May 2006 14:12:31 +0100
Subject: Congratulations you've won!!!


SWISS LOTTO
GESELLSCHAFT SCHWEIZER ZAHLENLOTTO
POSTFACH
4002 BASEL
REF NUMBER: SL/74/368/05
BATCH NUMBER: SL-121-LT-11-12-05
DEAR SIR/MADAM,
WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU,THAT AS A RESULT OF OUR RECENT LOTTERY DRAWS HELD ON THE 2ND OF MAY 2006.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 63538953216-435 with serial number 172-488 draw lucky numbers 13 - 15 - 16 - 26 - 28 - 41 + 19 which consequently won in the 1st category. you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 4,000,000.00 (DOLLARS) (FOUR MILLION DOLLARS).
Note that All participants in this lottery program have been selected randomly through a computer ballot system drawn from over 20,000companies and 30,000,000.individual email addresses from all search engines and web sites.
This promotional program takes place every year, and is promoted and sponsored by eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei, MichaelDell of Dell Computers and other corporate organizations. this is to encourage the use of the Internet and computers worldwide.
For security purpose and clarity, we advise that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims have been processed and your money remitted to you.This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claims and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants.
We look forward to your active participation in our next year USD 75 million slot.You are requested to contact our clearance officer below to assist you with your winnings and subsequent payments.
To file in your claim,please contact our winning payment processing officer
MR.DARREN SCOTT
E-mail address:claims_officer@lycos.co.uk
All winnings must be claimed not later than 31st of May2006 After the date of this notice.Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,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 and thank you for being part of our promotional program.
NOTE: YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED IF YOU ARE BELOW 18 YEARS OF AGE.
Sincerely yours,
MRS.CINDY PARKER
(LOTTERY COORDINATOR)
© 1996-2006 Swisslotto - all rights reserved - Switzerland
Swiss Lotto is a trademark of Gesellschaft Schweizer
Zahlenlotto - 4002 Basel

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam