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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:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim 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.
  • rich_lawrence2007@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "sweepstakes promotions" <worldwidebenefit22@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:42:57 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!YOU WON OUR LOTTERY.

FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER.
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS / PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
REF NUMBER: 3117849330/03.
BATCH NUMBER: 50/0112/NIG
WINNING NOTIFICATION,

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners for the
International programs held on the 1st of April 2007.

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 30th of
April2007,you among other two persons,winning in the second category,you
became a winner with the winning ticket number 220982217413-7240 with serial
number34708-325 drew luckynumbers 3-34-28-13-41 which consequently won in
the1st category, you are therefore been approved for a lump sum pay of
US$250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep yourwinning
information confidential until your claims has been processed and your money
remitted to you.

This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants.

All participants were selected through a computer ballotsystem drawn from
over 20,000 companies and 30,000,000 individual email addresses and names
from all over the world.This promotional program
takes place every three year.

This lottery was promoted and sponsored by Ted Turner,Jesse Jackson,Ken
Evoy, we hope you with take part in our next year USD 1 million
international lottery.

To begin your claim process contact the claim agent, MR Richard Lawrence
EMAIL: rich_lawrence2007@yahoo.com.

Your instrument of payment as well as a copy of this notification has been
sent ahead to the claim agent who, after verifying that you are the actual
owner/user of the e-mail address that won the draws,shall instruct the
paying bank for the release of your winning claims.

Note that the claim process is not expected to last longer than two
weeks from the date of contacting the claim agent.

Accept our congratulations!a
MARK LOUIS
DIRECTOR
(SWEEPSTAKES PROMOTIONS)

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam