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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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)
  • ",000,000" (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 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.
  • +447024020585 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448700688245 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • tyler_mail55@yahoo.de (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Thuringen Lotto <infoonlineweb88@easymail.hu>
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 07:57:02 +0200
Subject: Congratulations!!! You Have Won A Million Euro...Contact Your Claims Agent

Thuringen Lotto
Central Office
Management and Central Services:
Weseler-Stasse 5b
DE - 28732 Bremen
Germany

Reference Number: TL/Spiel-77/07-TOTO
Batch: TL/07- TOTO/2628

Congratulations!!!

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just concluded annual final
draws of the Thuringen Lotto Program.

Thuringen Lotto draws was conducted from an exclusive list of 25,000,000 e-mail
addresses of individual and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated
random computer ballot search from the internet as part of our international
promotions program which we conduct every year. No tickets were sold.

After this automated computer ballot, your e-mail address attached to serial
number 07-2628 drew the lucky numbers 7-14-17-33-40-42 which consequently emerged
you as one of first fifty (50) lucky winners in this category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of Eur 1,000,000.00 (One
Million EURO) in cash credited to file TL/Spiel-77/07-TOTO. This is from a total
cash prize of 50 Million Euro shared amongst the first fifty (50) lucky winners
in this category.

This year Lottery Program Jackpot is the largest ever for Thuringen Lotto. The
estimated 50 million jackpot would be the sixth-biggest in Europe history. The
biggest was the 363 million jackpot that went to two winners in a Febuary 2003
drawing of The Big Game Mega Millions' predecessor.

Your fund is now deposited in an offshore bank with a hardcover insurance. Due to
the mix up of some numbers,names and e-mail addresses, we advice that you keep
this award from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money
remitted to your nominated bank account as this is part of our security protocol
to avoid double claiming or unwarranted taking advantage of this program by the
general public.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet
representative office in London. In view of this, your Eur 1,000,000.00 (One
Million Euro) would be released to you by our affiliate bank in London. Our agent
will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds to
you as soon as you make contact with him.

To begin your claim please contact our licensed and accredited agent assigned to you:

Mr.Ashton Tyler
Thuringen Lotto
Information and Payment Bureau:
London Representative Office.
Phone: +44-702-402-0585
Fax: +44-870-068-8245
E-mail: tyler_mail55@yahoo.de

Your claims agent will assist you in the processing and remittance of your prize
funds into your designated bank account.

Note that all prize funds must be claimed not later than 3 weeks. After this date
all funds will be returned to the LOTTERY TREASURY as unclaimed. In order to
avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please endeavor to quote your
Reference Number:TL/Spiel-77/07-TOTO and Batch numbers:TL/07- TOTO/2628 in every
correspondence with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change in your
address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.

Members of the affiliate agencies are automatically not allowed to participate in
this program.

Congratulations once again from all members of our staff and thanks for being
part of our
promotions program.

Yours faithfully,
Mrs.Sophie Dohl
Promotions Manager.
Thuringen Lotto.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam