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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:
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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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
• 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.
  • hilary_scott3@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "mary cozier" <marycozier65@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 01 Nov 2006 04:25:02 +0100
Subject: released result

GERMANY LOTTO:
Customer Service
Ref: UK/9520X2/68
Batch: 075/06/ZY269

WINNING NOTIFICATION:
We happily announce to you the draw of the GERMANY LOTTO Sweepstake Online
Lottery International programs held on the 1st of NOVEMBER, 2006 in KOLN
GERMANY Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 66475600945 188 with
Serial number 2006/62drew the lucky numbers:1-7-9-12-43-46-8-6, which
subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category US dollars pay out.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum ofUS2,500,000.00 (Two
million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in cash credited to
file ktu/9033119308/06.This is from a total cash prize of US 25 Million
dollars, shared amongst the first Ten (10) lucky winners in this
category.All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site
through computer draw system and extracted from over 120,000 companies.

This promotion takes place annually Please note that your lucky
winningnumber falls within our European booklet representative office in
(Europe UK) as indicated in your play coupon.In view of this, your
US2,500,000.00 (Two million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars)
would be released to you by our payment office (Manchester UK). Our European
agent will immediately commence the process to facilitatethe release of your
funds as soon as you contact him.


For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to you in
whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part of our
precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this
program by some unscrupulous elements.Please be warned.

To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent:
MR HILARY SCOTT .
Email:hilary_scott3@yahoo.com

To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your full names
and address,your country, your private Telephone and fax number, your
reference/batch numbers etc in any correspondences with us or our designated
agent. Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this
program.

Thank you for being part of our promotional lottery program.

Sincerely,
MARY COZIER.
GERMANY LOTTO- Co-ordinator .

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam