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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:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "international lottery programme" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand 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 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.
  • +2348038768787 (Nigeria, 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.
  • kombschris_lotteryagent@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: AUSTRALIA LOTTERY RESULT INCOR <revsholes100@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:21:19 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS !!! YOU HAVE WON $500,000USD


FROM: THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARDS DEPARTMENT AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY COORPORATION; DATE: 31/08/2007 REF NUMBER: 475061725 BATCH NUMBER: 7056490902/188 WINNING NUMBER: GB8701/LPRC CONGRATULATION! CONGRATULATION!! CONGRATULATION!!! Dear Sir/Madam, We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 31st of August 2007 from the AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMME,Which is fully based On an electronic selection of winners using their E-mail addresses,your name was attached to ticket Number; 4706172507056490902 serial number 7741137002. This batch draws the lucky numbers as follows 5-13-33-37-42 bonus number 17,which consequently won the lottery inthe second category.you have Been approved a lump sum pay of US$500,000.00,(FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) in Cash credit file ref: ILP/HW47509/02 from the total Cash prize OF $16.700,000,00 that is shared amongst eight Lucky winners in this category. All participant were selected through computer balloting system drawn form Nine hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia, United States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as Part of our international promotions program, which is Conducted annually. This Lottery was promoted and Sponsored by a conglomerate of some multinational Companies as part of their social responsibility to the Citizens in the communites where they have Operational base. Further more your detail (e-mail address) falls within our Nigeria representative office in Africa as indicated in your play coupon and your prize of US$500,000.00 will be released to you from this regional branch office in NIGERIA.We hope with part of your prize, you will Participate in our end of year high stakes for US$1.3 Billion international draws. HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Simply contact our fiducially Agent, MR.KOMBS CHRIS TEL+234-8038768787 EMAIL:kombschris_lotteryagent@yahoo.com To file for your claim. Please quote your reference, Batch and winning number, which can be found on the top Left corner of his notification as well as your full Name, address and telephone number to help locate yourFile easily.For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep This information is confidential from the public until Your claim is processed and your prize released to You. This is part of our security protocol to avoid Double claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of This programmed by non-participant or none-official Personnel. NOTE: All winnings must be claimed before 30th septembeer 2007. After this date all unclaimed funds would Be donated to charity home. Remember to quote your Reference information in all correspondence with your Claimsagent. Congratulations once again on your winnings!!! Best Regards REV. SHOLES DUCK (co-coordinator).

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam