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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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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "30% for you " (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!

Fraud email example:

From: antonio Lucas <antoniolucas08@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <antonio_lucas1002@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:36:53 +0100
Subject: Dear Sir/Madam


Dear Sir/Madam

I am Mr.Antonio Lucas,spanish citizen, married and with two children.I am the Information/Database Analyst of Treasury and Payment Investigation Department INTERNATOINAL LOTTO PROMOTION COMMISSION (AFFILIATED WITH ONCE ESPAÑA).
I have in my possession a ticket and claim file number that worn the amount of USD$815,950(EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND,NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTY USA DOLLARS)on the SPANISH SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY/INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION PROGRAM held on March 2007.With due respect, trust and humility, I decided to consult you towards this claim due to the need involved and with the faith I have in God I believe that you will be reliable and capable to assist me in claiming this amount through any safe trust account of your choice for investment purpose and I believe that you will not betray me after you have received the money into your account.

I deceided to claim this money due to the inability of the origin al winner to come forward for the claim since INTERNATOINAL LOTTO PROMOTION COMMISSION sent an official notification letter but without respond and if the money is not claimed within a stipulated time it will be returned to Ministerio De Economia Y Hacienda as unclaimed.As a senoir worker with INTERNATOINAL LOTTO PROMOTION COMMISSION,with the winning informations in my possession I feel it is an opportunity to make money and I cannot afford to miss it.The sharing modality for the fund shall be 30% for you 60% for me,the remaining 10% will be set aside for any expenses incurred on the course of claiming the money.I will be looking forward to your indication of interest so that we can proceed with the process of claiming the funds. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement.

Yours sincerely, Antonio Lucas
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam