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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
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• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims 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.
  • mathraph_paymentdivison@yahoo.com.au (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Australia Winning Award Lottery <australianprizeaward02@yahoo.com.au>
Reply-To: ng_debtmanagement@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 04:39:58 +1100 (EST)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS


FROM DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARDSDEPARTMENT AUSTRALIAN
INTERNATIONAL SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY COPORATION;

DATE: 13/02/2007
REF NUMBER: 475061725
BATCHNUMBER: 7056490902/188
WINNING NUMBER: GB8701/LPRC
CONGRATULATION! CONGRATULATION!! NGRATULATION!!!

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 30Th of January 2007 from the AUSTRALIA NTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMME,Which is fully based on an electronic selection of winners using their e-mail addresses, your name was attached to ticket number; 4706172507056490902 serial number 7741137002.

This batch draws the lucky numbers as follows 5-13-33-37-42 bonus number 17, which consequently won the lottery in the second category. You have been approved a lump sum pay of $900,000.00, (NINE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) only in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/02 from the total cash prize shared amongst eight lucky winners in 2nd category.

All participant were selected through computer balloting system drawn form Nine hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia, United States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our international promotions program which is conducted anually.This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of some international companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base.

Furthermore your detail (e-mail address) falls within our Nigeria representative office in Africa as indicated in your play coupon and your prize of US$900,000.00 will be released to you from this regional branch office in NIGERIA . We hope with part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year high stakes for US$1.3 Billion international draw.

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Simply contact our fiduciary agent DR. MATHEW RALPH at Email: mathraph_paymentdivison@yahoo.com.au, to file for your claim, please quotes your reference batch and winning Number which can be found on the top left corner of this notification as well as your full name, address and telephone number to help locate your file easily.

For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information confidential from the public until your claim is processed and your prize released to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this programmed by non-participant or any official personnel.

NOTE, all winnings must be claimed before 2nd of march 2007; otherwise all funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually donated to charity organization.

Congratulations once again on your winnings!!!

Best Regards

MR. WILLIAM PARKER. (Co-ordinator).
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.
CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT DR. MATHEW RALPH ON EMAIL: mathraph_paymentdivison@yahoo.com.au,
YOU MUST CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT WITH THE E-MAIL ADDRESSES THAT HAVE BEEN INDICATED FOR CLEARIFICATIONS

Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam