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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
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million 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.
  • mancinidnricoma1@yahoo.it

Fraud email example:

From: super winner <wsupl2@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:11:10 +0000
Subject: YOU HAVE WON!$1.000.000.00!!!


**************DO NOT DELETE THIS MAIL**************
Dear Winner,

You have been selected as victorious via your email address.You have won $1.000.000.00 (One Million United States Dollars). Click here to view rules: http://termsitalialink01.biz.ly/ or paste it in your browser. You must read the rules and understand them before responding. This must be claimed not later than the 15th of August, 2007. We are required to disburse the award to the correct recipient, but we must verify that you are the owner of the selected email address before we can send this money to you.
Contact us with reference number: 29NER08/2007.In respect to your claim, provide the following whenresponding:

1. Full Names: 2. Address: 3. Age: 4. Sex: 5. Phone numbers: 6. Country of residence:

Contact person: Enrico Mancinidnricoma1@yahoo.it Lotteria ItaliaVenezia. 2000-2007 Copyright. Lotteriaitalia- Tutti i diritti riservati - E' vietata la copia.
**************DO NOT DELETE THIS MAIL**************
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam