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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
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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.
  • lotteryagency2384@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "World Bank Lottery Beneficiary" <beneficaryster@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2006 01:52:09 +0100
Subject: World Bank Lottery Result June 2006


*Lottery Program*

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are pleased to congratulate and inform you of the exclusive result of the
World Bank Lucky lottery program held on the 30th of May, 2006, your e-mail
address attached to ticket number: 34T 0012-11 with serial number:
23522-722, drew lucky numbers: 4-32-19-38-21-47 which consequently won in
the 2nd category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay-out of
4,000, 000.00 Euros (Four Million Euros).

All participants were selected by a computer ballot system drawn from over
35,000 company and 48,000,000 individual email addresses and names
worldwide.

This promotional program takes place every year. It was promoted and
sponsored by eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei. We hope that
with part of your winning, you will participate in our end of year 20
MILLION EURO.

For security reasons, we advise you to keep your Winning Information
confidential until your claim has been processed and your prize fund
remitted to you. This is a part of our security protocol to curb double
claiming and unwarranted abuse of this system by unscrupulous individuals.
Please we shall relaunch our website immediately we finish fixing some
security issues to erase winner information vulnerabilities. You will be
notified.

Please you are requested to come personally to file in your claim. However,
if you cannot make it to the United Kingdom, please contact the below
approved private attorney by e-mail to help you make your claim

*Citizens International Bank Limited
*E-mail: britishbankintl@galacmail.com<http://us.f601.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=britishbankintl@galacmail.com>
E-mail: lotteryagency2384@yahoo.com<http://us.f601.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=lotteryagency2384@yahoo.com>


Please remember that all winnings must be claimed not later than THREE WEEKS
FROM THE DATE OF NOTIFICATION. After this date all unclaimed prizes will be
null and void. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,
please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers (Ref.:
2D2/2E0710/004, Batch: 002501937-NL04) to the attorney.

Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform us 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 automatically disqualified.

Best wishes,

Mr. Henry Godian
MANAGEMENT

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam