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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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.
• 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.
  • +2348068208128 (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.
  • dr_billwood@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3adr_billwood@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Canadian Lottery" <info.cclottery@gala.net>
Reply-To: dr.bill.wood@live.com
Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 14:55:19 +0100
Subject: YOUR EMAIL HAS WON*****$820,000****IN CANADIAN LOTTERY


Canadian Lottery (Lotto lore)
Headquarters: 1a, Bexon Court Carlton
Nottingham shire NG4 1SQ Essex
United Kingdom
http://www.lottolore.com/lotto649.html

Winning notification

We happily announce to you the result of the National Lotto 6/49 lottery
draws held on Wed, May 21, 2008 , in Essex United Kingdom and Ontario,
Canada. All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site
through computer draws system and extracted from over 10,000,00 companies
and personal e-mail addresses. Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number: B9564 7560 4545 100 with serial number 046560 drew the winning
numbers 3-4-7-19-28-32 Bonus 6 .

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$820,000 in cash
credited to file EAAL/9080118308/04. Please note that your lucky winning
numbers fall within our African booklet
representative office in Nigeria as indicated in your play coupon.

In view of this, your US$820,000 would be released to you by and accredited
commercial Bank in Africa. Our African agent will immediately commence the
process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact their
office. To file for your claim, please contact our corresponding agent in
Africa immediately you read this message for quick and urgent release of
your fund,contact information is as follows: -

Name: Dr Bill Wood
Email:dr_billwood@yahoo.com <Email%3Adr_billwood@yahoo.com>
Tel: +234-806-820-8128

Congratulations once more from all members and staff of this program to all
that have successfully won this competition and thank you for being part of
our promotional lottery program.

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs.Rosemary Johnson
Customer Service: 680 NCA 85914

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam