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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "euroafriq lotto award" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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 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.
  • +22993470270 (Benin, probably a 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.
  • john_claude004@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "good office" <goodofficefile5@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 6 May 2007 01:36:10 +0200
Subject: UNCLAIMED LOTTO PRIZE PAYMENT NOTICE.


INTERNATIONAL LOTTO ORGANIZATION
Juan Hurtado De Mendoza 6D 28044,
Cotonou Republic du Benin

UNCLAIMED LOTTO PRIZE PAYMENT NOTICE.

ATTENTION TO THE OWNER OF THIS EMAIL ADDRESS;

Winner in the 2nd category of our Euroafriq free Net Lottery Promotional
award draws held June 2006. I am writing in respect to your lotto winning
prize of $715,810.00(Seven hundred and fifteen thousand eight hundred and
ten US Dollars only) which you won through the email ballot draws in our
Euroafriq Lotto Award in 2006 in the second category prize winnings
category.

We wish to inform you that your total prize money of $715,810.00 has been
returned to us by our Lotto claims agent as unclaimed prize after their
initial letter to your address for your payment was not successful.

You are here by requested to con! tact our Treasury Office on telephone
+22993470270 or email: (john_claude004@yahoo.fr) for your immediate
payment.Our Treasury officer's name is John Claude, so refer this to him and
contact him immediately for your unclaimed lotto prize payment to you.

You should contact our Treasury Officer as directed above for your payment,
and do notify me as soon as you received your payment from our Treasurer.

Thanks,
Mr H Effenberg.
President; Int'l Lotto Org.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam