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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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.
  • freelotto0067@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "TREVOR WILLIAMS" <freelotto0002@aim.com>
Reply-To: freelotto0067@aim.com
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2006 17:58:47 +0100
Subject:



Internet lottery/ The Free Lotto Company
Jackpot winner
Under the International Lottery and Swiss Lotto
UK HEAD OFFICE
Unit 7, Parkway Trading Est.,
Cranford La, Hounslow,
TW5 9QA
REF NUMBER: FL2/05/207152/UK/IE
BATCH NUMBER: 962901-PCF03
Sir/Madam,
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners International programs held on the 30th of June 2006 all games promotion. Your e-mail address attached to your lotto payment order
(i) Serial number: 45637-77UK/IE
(ii) Ticket number: GS56754/22/76UK/IE
(iii) Lotto code number: FL09622UK/IE
(iv) The file ref number: FL2/05/207152/UK/IE
The payment order (i)-(iv), which consequently won in the 1st category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 2,500,000 (EUROS) (TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND EUROS)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
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 claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 20,000 companies and 30,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over the world. This promotional program takes place every year.
This lottery was promoted and sponsored by eminent personalities like The Free Lotto Awards, Microsoft Corporation, the Intel Group, Toshiba, Dell Computers, Mackintosh and a conglomeration of other international IT companies. The free lotto Internet draw is held once in a year and is so organized to encourage the use of the Internet and computers worldwide. We are proud to say that over 200 Million Euros are won annually in more than 150 countries worldwide. We look forward to your active participation in our next year USD50 million slot.
To process your claim, please fill the form below and contact our clearance office via the email address below:
*********************************************************************
Clearance officer: Mr. Trevor Williams
Email Address: freelotto0067@aim.com
*********************************************************************
Your fund can be release from either of the following options and are required to choose the mode in which you want your claim release to you.
1. International Bank Draft
2. Certified cheque
3. Wired transfer
If you choose option 3, you are require to provide your account detail
Note that, all winnings must be claimed not later than one month starting from today, failure to respond to this mail before one months time from today, all unclaimed funds will be null and void.
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.
____________________________________________________________________
FORM
Internet lottery/ The Free Lotto Company
UK HEAD OFFICE
Unit 7, Parkway Trading Est.,
Cranford La, Hounslow,
TW5 9QA
<http://www.freelotto.com/>
LOTTERY PAYMENT APPLICATION FORM
(To be completed by lottery winners only)
Ticket Number: ?????????????????????????
Reference Number: ?????????????????????????
Batch Number: ??????????????????????????
First Name: ?????????????????????????????
Last Name: ?????????????????????????????
Home Address: ??????????????????????????
Town/City: ?????????????????????????
Post Code: ?????????????????????????
Country: ?????????????????????????
Telephone (Home): ?????????????????????????
Mobile: ?????????????????????????
Fax (Private): ?????????????????????????
Fax (Office): ?????????????????????????
Email Address: ????????????????????????
Date of Birth: ???????????????????????????
Occupation: ????????????????????????????
Marital Status: ???????????????????????????
I.............................???hereby declare that the above information are true and binding on me. If at any time it is discovered that I have given false information, I will forfeit my rights to my winnings.
Sincerely yours,
Mrs Angelina McCarran.
(Lottery Coordinator)
IMPORTANT NOTICE.
Please be informed that NON RESIDENTS of Ireland and United Kingdom will be required to procure a Affidavits of Lotto Claim/Court clearance certificate from the Court in Ireland prior to award payment policy of Organisers/European Gaming Board as required by the Clearance office.
Please be aware that your Paying Authority wills Effect Payment Swiftly upon satisfactory Report, Verifications and validation provided by this Clearance Office

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam