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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.

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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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned 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 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.
  • +22993571129 (Benin, probably a 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.
  • mr_brightdestiny@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Serina Gomez" <mrsserinagomez02@rediffmail.com>
Date: 19 Apr 2008 13:55:38 -0000
Subject: UNCLAIMED LOTTO PRIZE PAYMENT NOTICE.


INTERNATIONAL LOTTO ORGANIZATIONJuan Southern portion De Mencosea 6E 21022,Cotonou Republic Du Benin&nbsp;UNCLAIMED&nbsp; LOTTO PRIZE PAYMENT NOTICE.&nbsp;ATTENTION TO THE OWNER OF THIS EMAIL ADDRESS;&nbsp;Winner in the 2nd category of our Euroafric free Net Lottery Promotional award draws held February 2007.&nbsp;I am writing in respect to your lotto winning prize of $1.200, 000.00m [One Million Two Hundred Thousandth United State of America Dollars Only] which you won through the email ballot draws in our Euroafric Lotto Award in 2007 in the second category prize winnings crate gory.&nbsp;We wish to inform you that your total prize money of $1.200, 000.00m has been returned to us by our Lotto claims agent as unclaimed prize after their initial letter to your address for your payment was not successful.&nbsp;You are here by requested to contact our Treasury Office on telephone +2299 3571 129 or 002299 3571 129 and also through e-mail:(mr_brightdestiny@yahoo.fr) for your imm!
ediate payment, Our Treasury officer's Name is Mr.BRIGHT DESTINY, so refer this to him immediately for the immediate payment of your unclaimed lotto prize payment to you&nbsp;You should contact our Treasury Officer as directed above for your payment, and do notify me as soon as you received your payment from our Treasurer.&nbsp;Thanks,Mrs. Serina Gomez. President; Int'l Lotto&nbsp; Org.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam