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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "foreign service manager" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "deadline" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • +34646005443 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • harmonyagencies@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: mega bote <mega@megabote5.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 19:11:26 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: Congratulations! Claim your award winning prize.


FROM THE DESK OF VICE PRESIDENT
EURO MILIONES LOTTERY
MADRID - SPAIN
www.loteria.com

Dear Beneficiary

AWARD FINAL NOTIFICATION
We are please to inform you released announcement as one of the 10 lucky winners in the Euro Millones Lottery International Email Address draw on the 17th of October due to the mixture of names and address the result was released
on the 20th October 2006. All 10 winning addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international email addresses. Your email address emerged alongside 9 others as a category 2 winner in the Euro Millones Lottery Draw.

Consequently, you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of USD830, 590:00 (Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand Five Hundred and Ninety United States Dollars Only).The following particulars are attached to your lottery payment order:

(I) Batch No: TTOW/1989/TAC
(ii) Ticket No: 777-312-009
(iii) Lucky No: 01-10-22-33-54
(iv) Ref No: WUMT/XX43/9000/LAES
(V) Serial No: MMUEU/U423/876
The Euro Millones Lottery Program draw is held once in a year and is organized and co - sponsored by Microsoft Corporation’s Chairman Bill Gates, Emir of Brunei, Queen Elizabeth II of England and Alfred Nobel Foundations Sweden, as part of their philanthropic contribution to the world development worldwide. We are proud to say that over 200 Million Euros are won annually in more than 150 countries worldwide.

Your lottery ticket was bought by Pacific Bond and creditors, through the OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION AGENCY therefore 10%of your total winning prize money will be paid to them after your fund has been processed and transferred to you.

To claim your winning prize you are to contact the appointed agent as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:

Dr. COLLINS FENNIGAN (Foreign Service Manager)
HARMONY INSURANCE AGENCY
E-mail:harmonyagencies@netscape.net
TEL. +34 646-005 443

N.B: Steps to claiming your prize;
1. Please quote your Reference number in all correspondence with the agent.
2. You must contact the appointed agent with your Full Names, Contact Telephone Numbers (Home, Office and Mobile Number and also Fax Number) via email to process the immediate payment of your prize.

3. Be informed that the appointed agent will be required to swear an Affidavits of Lotto Claim and also obtain Approval Legal Clearance Certificate from the Court here in Madrid, Spain which is in accordance with the
European Union Financial Act 2004 on payment of International Lottery.

Please be aware that the paying bank will effect payment swiftly upon satisfactory report, verifications and validation provided by fiducial agent.
For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information Confidential till your claims are processed and your money remitted to you. Be informed that the deadline to claim your winning prize money is 30th
Nov, 2006.
Once again congratulations!!!
Best regards,
Mrs. Ann Lopez
Euro Millones Lottery

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam