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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • +34697333267 (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.
  • martincannis@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: m.euro2@voila.fr
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:21:56 +0100 (CET)
Subject: Your Email Addres Has Won Award


Your Email Addres Has Won Award
Award Prize Dept
Madrid ?Spain
Dear Beneficiary
We are please to announce you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the
Euro Millones Lottery International Email Address draw on the 30th of
December 2006, due to the mixture of names and address the result was
released on the 15th January 2007.
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 US$787,000:00 (Seven Hundred and Eighty Seven Thousand United States
Dollars Only). The following particulars are attached to your lotto
payment order:
(¡) Batch No: WNTO/7416/VA/ES
(¡¡) Ticket No: TWMT/1800/806
(¡¡¡) Lucky No: 07-13-31.54-64
(¡v) Ref No: EMLES/2006/M
(v) Serial No: CNMMM/67000/MMC
The Euro Millones Lottery Program internet draw is held once in a year
and is so organized to encourage the use of the internet and computers
worldwide. We are proud to say that over 200 Million Euros are won
annually in more than 150 countries worldwide.To claim your winning
prize you are to contact the appointed agent as soon as possible forthe
immediate release of your winnings:
BARRISTER MARTIN CANNIS
TEL. +34 697 333 267
E-mail:martincannis@aim.com
N.B:Steps to claiming your prize;
1.Please quote your Reference number in all correspondence with the
claims officer.
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 Spain which is in accordance with
theEuropean Union Financial Act 2004 on payment of International
Lottery Winners.
Please be aware that the PAYING BANK will Effect Payment Swiftly upon
satisfactory Report, Verifications and validation provided by this
fiduciary agent.
For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to
you.
Once again congratulations!!!
Best regards,
Mrs.Suzan Zeeman

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam