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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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:
  • "claims 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 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.
  • italianfarmersunion@yahoo.it
  • italianfarmersunion@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • benjaminflores@mixmail.com
  • barristerroberklaus@inbox.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: FAMERS UNION SPA ITALIA <italianfamersunion@yahoo.it>
Reply-To: italianfarmersunion@myway.com
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:43:05 +0100
Subject: BENVENUTO THE SUCCESS FROM FROM YOUR EMAIL ITALIAN FAMERS WINNING MEGA BONUS


NOTICE...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
ITALIAN FARMERS GIVE AWAY MEGA STAR PROMO
/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
BATCH NO: 65409/11/05/SLT
REF. NO: SLT/54390812/121/3421
WINNING NOTIFICATION / FINAL
NOTICE...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
This is to inform you of the release of the MEGA STAR
PROMO INTERNATIONAL/ ITALIAN PROMO BOARD. Your name
attached to ticket number 219028 with Serial number
200432 drew the lucky numbers of 05-31-75-64-25-74, which
consequently won the lottery in the 1st category.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payment of
Seven Hundred Thousand Euro( US$700,000.00 ) only, which is deposited in your favour as beneficiary and
covered with HIGH INSURANCE POLICY. It is important that
keep your winning confidential to avoid people garnering
your information and subsequently making claim with your
winning paraphernalia information, Give Away
international Mega Star will decline payment if such irregularity
occurs.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot
system drawn from only Microsoft users from over 20,000.00
companies and 3,000,000.00 individual email addresses and
names from all over the world. To begin your lottery claim,
please contact your claims agent below on or before the 18th of FEBRUARY 2007
CONTACT CONSULTANT ITALIAN FARMERS HEADQUARTERS AT
EMAIL:italianfarmersunion@yahoo.it
EMAIL:Italianfarmersunion@myway.com OR PRESIDENT FARMERS UNION ITALIA SPA
DR BENJAMIN FLORES
benjaminflores@mixmail.com
It is imperative that you contact your assigned payment
officer within the stipulated period of time. After this date all
unclaimed funds will be included in subsequent promos.
Please note in order to avoid preventable delays and
Complications please remember to quote your reference
number and batch numbers in all correspondence.
Furthermore, should there be any change of address do
inform our agent as soon as possible.
Congratulations once more from our members of staff and
thank you for being part of our promotional program.
Yours Sincerely,
BARRISTER ROBERT KLAUS, STUDIO LEGALE ( ITA CHAMBERS)
barristerroberklaus@inbox.com
PLEASE FILL IN THE FOLLOWING FORMS BELOW FOR THE COMPLETION OF YOUR WINNING BONUS ENDEAVOUR TO STAY CLEAR FROM SCAMS AND FRAUD PRACTICES ANY BODY CAUGHT ON EMAIL WINNING THEFT OR SCAMS PATTERNING THIS ORGANISATION WILL FACE THE PENALTY AS IN ITALIAN PENAL CODE OF DEGREE SECTION 404/1097/8765/87 DECREE OF 1999 UNDER COMMA 1,COMMA 2 AND COMMA 7 OF THE PENAL CODE

1.YOUR NAMES IN FULL ..............................................
2.NATIONALITY.........................................................
3.NEXT OF KIN.....................................................
4.YOUR JOB....................................................
5. MARITAL STATUS...................................
6.TELEPHONE /FAX.............................
7.AGE................................................
8. DECLARATION................................
9.ADDRESS........................................

RETURNS COMPLETED FORMS WITHIN THE PERIOD OF FOUR (4) GOOD WORKING DAYS

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam