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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • ",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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • ecowasonline01@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: The Foundazion Di Vittorio<ecowasafrica01@sify.com>
Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 06:14:25 +1300
Subject: The Foundazion Di Vittorio



The Foundazion Di Vittorio has chosen you by the board of trustees as one of the final recipients of a cash Grant/
Donation for your own personal educational and business development.To celebrate the 30th anniversary 2007 program We
are giving out a yearly donation of US$8,000,000.00 (Eight Million United States Dollars)recipients as charity
donations. Fill Out Information: Full Name: Address: Occupation: Telephone: Sex: Age:
Payment Remitance Contact

Based on the random selection exercise of internet websites and millions of supermarket cash invoices worldwide, you
were selected among the lucky recipients to receive the award sum of US$8,000,000.00 (Eight Million United States
Dollars) as charity donations/aid from the Rome Foundation, ECOWAS, EU and the UNO in accordance with the enabling act
of Parliament. (Note that all beneficiaries email addresses were selected randomly from over 100,000 internet websites
or a shop's cash invoice around your area in which you might have purchased something from). You are required to fill
the form below and email it to our Executive Secretary below for qualification documentation and processing of your
claims. After contacting our office with the requested data, you will be given your donation pin number, which you will
use in collecting the funds. Please endeavor to quote your Qualification numbers (N-444-7858, E-800-67) in all
discussions.

You are to forward the following details to enable us clear your file
for immediate payment:
1. Names: ______
2. Address:______
3. Age: ______
4. Sex: ______
5. Marital Status: ______
6. Occupation:________
7. Company Name._____
8. Phone numbers:______
9. Country:______

E-MAIL: ecowasonline01@yahoo.com

All information is strictly confidential and will only be used for the purpose to which it is been requested.
Please note that these donations/Grants are strictly administered by Economic community for West African States
(ECOWAS), European Union (EU), under delegated powers from the United Nations Organization (UNO). This means that your
qualification number will be reffled to know the organisation (ECOWAS or EU) that will handle your payment. You are to
keep this whole information confidential until you have been able to collect your donation, as there have been many
cases of double and unqualified claim, due to beneficiaries informing third parties about his/her donation.

Finally, all funds should be claimed by their respective beneficiaries, no later than 15 days after notification.
Failure to do so will mean cancellation of that beneficiary and its donation will then be reserved for next year?s
recipients. On behalf of the Board kindly, accept our warmest congratulations.


Congratulations once again from all our staff and thank you for being

Regards.
Dr. Jacob Alli
The Foundazion Di Vittorio
Ecowas Region Promo Head

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam