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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:
  • "claims agent" (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 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.
  • mirrowtrust@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: GOOGLE INFO <google@googleo6.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 6 Nov 2006 16:20:46 +0100 (CET)
Subject: CONTACT: YOU HAVE WON



INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION PROGRAM GOOGLE LOTTO
WESTERN AVE. 9800
Dear Lucky Winner,
CONSOLATION PRIZE WINNING NOTICE!!!
Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice, the results of the First Category draws of E-MAIL LOTTERY organised by GOOGLE INT. We are happy to inform you that you have emerged a winner under the First Category, which is part of our promotional draws. The draws were held on 2nd of October 2006 and results are being officially announced today 6th of November 2006. Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 2,500,000 email addresses of individuals and companies from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania as part of our International Promotions Program. Your e-mail address, attached to ticket number 675432890044/376, with serial number 2200-33 drew the lucky numbers 1-0-11-44-03-22 and consequently won in the First Category. You have therefore been awarded a lump sum pay out of One Million (1,000,000.00) Euro, which is the winning payout for Category A winners. This is from the total prize money from 1,500,000 Euro shared among the 2 winners in this category.
Your fund is now deposited with the paying Bank. In your best interest to avoid mix up of numbers and names of any kind, we request that you keep the entire details of your award strictly from public notice until the process of transferring your claims has been completed, and your funds remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants / non participants of this program. Please contact your claims agent immediately for due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice:
To file for your claim, kindly contact your CLAIMS agent.
Contact Person:
Mr.Costas Yanis.
MirrowTrust Claims Agency
TEL: 0030-694-409-5731
Email:mirrowtrust@aim.com
THINOS 73, 10722,
ATHENS GREECE
You are advised to contact the agents by email.
NOTE: For easy reference and identification, find below your reference and Batch numbers. Remember to quote these numbers in every one of your correspondence with your claims agent. Reference Nr: AMC/231-ILGI0431/06. Batch Nr:EOS/15/096/TVFS Congratulations once again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program.
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Wendy Brown.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam