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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:

• 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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +447030402977 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • stellawns101@myway.com

Fraud email example:

From: Walter Atkinson <cvxanganb@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2006 01:48:24 +0200
Subject: Promotions Unit

Dear Winner,

CONGRATULATIONS: YOU WON =A310,000,000.00.

We are pleased to inform you of the result of Britishxanga Lottery=
SPE, which was held on the 30th, June 2006.
Your e-mail addr= ess attached to e-ticket number: 20123478912A, with
Prize Number:= 106285612 drew a prize
of =A310,000,000.00 (Ten Million pounds).=
This lucky draw came first in the 2nd Category of the Sweepstake= .
You will receive the sum of =A310,000,000.00 (Ten Million pound= s) from
our
authorized agent.

Because of some mix-up with sweepstake prizes, including the time =
limited placed on the payment of your prize:
=A310,000,000.00= , we advice that you keep all information about this
prize
co= nfidential until your funds: =A310,000,000.00
have been transferr= ed to you by our bank. You must adhere to this
instruction, stric= tly, to avoid any delay with the
release of your funds to your pe= rson. This program has been abused
severally in past, so we are d= oing our best to
forestall further occurrence of false claims.

This sweepstake was conducted under the watchful eyes of 8,000 spectators. Your e-mail address was selected
and came out first = by a e-ballot draw from over 250,000 e-mail
addresses (personal a= nd corporate e-mail addresses).
This program is sponsored by CFI = Networks to compensate faithful
internet suffers around the globe= .
Congratulations for becoming one of the few lucky winners.
= With your permission, your e-mail will also be included in the next <= BR>sweepstake of =A350 Million jack pot.

You must claim your prize: =A310,000,000.00 not later than 14-days= from
the moment you receive this e-mail.
In order to avoid u= nnecessary delays with your claim from this office;
please comple= te the form immediately, and quote your
winning and personal info= rmation now, and in all your correspondence
with this office.

Here is the agent  information:

Email:Stella Martins

stellawns101@myway.com 
stellawns606@m= yway.com

Tel/Fax +447030402977

BENEFICIARY:................

ADDRESS:....................

CITY/STATE:.................

COUNTRY:....................

NATIONALITY:................

SEX:............AGE:........

MARITAL STATUS..............

TEL NO:.....................

NEXT OF KIN:................

AMOUNT WON:.................

E-ticket number:............

Prize Number:..............

Congratulations once again from all members and staff of this =
program.

Thank you for being part of our promotional lottery programs.

Sincerely,
Walter Atkinson (Mr.)
Director.Online Promotion= s Unit

<= /DIV>

 

CONFIDENTIAL NOTICE= : This = email message, including any attachments, is intended only for the us= e of the intended recipient(s) and may contain information that is pr= ivileged, confidential and prohibited from unauthorized disclosure un= der applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient of this mes= sage, any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message is s= trictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please not= ify the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original = message.

---

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam