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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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  (+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)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims director" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +447031924017 (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.
  • bartonkbriggs@yahoo.com.ar (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Common Wealth Nations promtions <commonwealth@nationspromtionscommonwe.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 14:59:12 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS(YOU HAVE WON)!!!................


FROM THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR
Commonwealth Secretariat,
Marlborough House, Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX
(Customer Services)
Ref: UK/9420X/05
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

WINNING NOTIFICATION

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are pleased to inform you of the release of the results of the recently held Common Wealth of Nations Sweepstakes International Programmes held on the Ist of July,2006.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 025—11464992—750 with Serial number 2113—05 drew the lucky numbers 4—18—24—30—31—35 which consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of £500,000.00 (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED KINGDOM POUNDS ONLY ) in cash credited to file REF NO:EGS/2551543252/02.

This is from a total cash prize of £5,000,000.00 (FIVE MILLION UNITED KINGDOM POUNDS) shared among the ten international winners in this category.

The online draws was conducted by a random selection of email addresses from an exclusive list of 29,031 E-mail addresses of individuals and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the internet. However, no tickets were sold but all email addresses were assigned to different ticket numbers for representation and privacy.

The selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection machine (TOPAZ) from a database of over 250,000 email addresses providers drawn from all the continents of the world.

This Lottery is approved by the British Online Lottery Controllers Commision ,the British Gaming Board and also Licensed by the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR).This lottery is the 3rd of its kind organised by the British Common Wealth of Nations and we intend to sensitize the public on the need for rendering financial assistance to the third world countries. i.e the Under-Developed Countries.

For processing and remmitance of your winnings, you are required to contact our designated claims agent with the following underlisted informations:

FULL NAMES:...........................................................
ADDRESS:(NB: P.O Box not allowed)...........................................................
CITY:...........................................................
STATE:...........................................................
ZIP:...........................................................
COUNTRY...........................................................
SEX:...........................................................
AGE:...........................................................
MARITAL STATUS:...........................................................
OCCUPATION:...........................................................
TELEPHONE NUMBER...........................................................
E-MAIL ADDRESS:...........................................................
NATIONALITY...........................................................

ACCIDENTAL CLAIMS REQUIREMENT

NEXT OF KIN :...........................................................
ADDRESS OF NEXT OF KIN : (NB: P.O Box not allowed)...........................................................
SEX OF NEXT OF KIN:...........................................................
AGE OF NEXT OF KIN:...........................................................
TELEPHONE NUMBER OF NEXT OF KIN:...........................................................
E-MAIL ADDRESS OF NEXT OF KIN:...........................................................

To claim your winning prize, you must first contact the claims department by email for processing and remittance of your prize to you.

You are required to fill and submit the above particulars to our claims agent through the details below:

MR.BARTON BRIGGS
CLAIMS DIRECTOR
COMMON WEALTH LOTTERY PROMOTIONS
Commonwealth Secretariat,
Marlborough House, Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX
Email:bartonkbriggs@yahoo.com.ar
Tel:(+44) 7031924017 (+44) 7031921214


NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every correspondence with us or your agent.Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations once again from all members of our staff Of the British Common Wealth of Nations.


Mrs.DIANNE HALENDALE
Promotions Manager
Common Wealth Lottery Promotions
Commonwealth Secretariat,
Marlborough House, Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam