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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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 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.
  • david.allen19700@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "david.allen19700@hotmail.com" <mybest.linkx@laposte.net>
Reply-To: <david.allen19700@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2007 14:33:56 -0700
Subject: REF NO: NHL/653/029/03/SA

DEAR Sir/Madam

We are pleased to inform you, THAT AS A RESULT OF OUR RECENT LOTTERY
DRAWS HELD on the 13th,August 2007. Your e-mail address attached to
ticket number: 27511465896-6410 with Serial number 4204-777 drew lucky
numbers 5-21-23-34-61-72 which consequently won in the 1st category.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of EU2,500,000
(Two MILLION, Five hundred thousand EUROS) .

Note that all participants in this lottery program have been selected
randomly through a computer ballot system drawn from over 200,000
companies and 30,000,000 individual email addresses from all search
engines and web sites.

This promotional program takes place every year, and is promoted and
sponsored by eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei, Bill
Gates of Microsoft Inc and other corporate organizations. This is to
encourage the use of the internet and computers worldwide.

Please fill the attached form and send it to the
under-listed institution by phone, fax or email for
your application to be submitted and processed for
payment thus:

CLAIMS AGENT:
Mr. David Allen
Standard Securities and Vault Services.
david.allen19700@hotmail.com

Congratulations once more from all members and staff
of this program and thank you for being part of our
promotional lottery program.

Sincerely yours,

Mrs. Janet Freiburg,
(LOTTERY COORDINATOR)

APPLICATION FOR PRIZE CLAIM FORM

[FULL NAME OF WINNER]:
[ADDRESS]:
[COUNTRY/REGION]:
[STATE]
[DATE OF BIRTH]:
[SEX]:
[OCCUPATION]
[CURRENT
[EMAIL]:
[TEL/FAX]
[MOBILE]

WINNING INFORMATION

[TICKET
NUMBER]:
[YOUR REF NUMBER]:
[PRIZE WON]:
[DATE]

CLAIMANT SIGNATORY DECLARATION

I..................................... Declare as
the lotto prizewinner that all information I have
provided for my winning claims is true and
correct information of myself. I agree with the
OVERSEAS INTERNATIONAL lottery policy and regulation
in line with my lottery claims.

CONGRATULATIONS!


Sincerely yours,

Mrs. Janet Freiburg,
LOTTERY COORDINATOR

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam