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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• 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.
  • +34663680388 (Spain, 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.
  • eco.heritage1@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "heritage ecology" <ecoheritage7@mailbox.hu>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 16:25:05 +0200
Subject: REF: ECOLOGY & HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND


REF: ECOLOGY & HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND
MEGA MILLION LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION
FROM: THE DESK OF THE CO-ORDINATING MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT,

RE/ AWARD NOTIFICATION

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement, of winners of the
MEGA MILLION LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION PROGRAMS.
International programs held on the 29TH of APRIL 2008. Your name and
e-mail address are attached to:

REFERENCE NUMBER: 89/00/PPF
BATCH NUMBER: 14/889/PPJ
TICKET NUMBER: ET2/75/69/LLP
SERIAL NUMBER: 46867
DRAW LUCKY NUMBERS: 1/17 /24 /26 /30 /49 /14

And consequently won the lottery which your email profile was tagged
among lists of generated lottery pools programme generated by Cascata
lottery Email Generator which have finally won you this lottery award
credited to file No: EFF 28/10/80/EES in the C category. You have
therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out o f US$1,050,000.00
(ONE MILLIO N FIFTY THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) in cash
credited to file No:EFF 28/10/80/EES .This is from the
total sum that was brought out for this lottery promotion programe.

To file your claim please contact

HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND
MADRID-SPAIN
CONTACT: MR.ANDY JOSE.
TEL: ES +34 663-680-388 Llamar
FAX: +34-901-955-953
EMAIL: eco.heritage1@gmail.com<http://us.mc511.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=eco.heritage1@gmail.com>

Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your
winning information confidential until your claims has been processed
and your money Remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol
to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by
some participants.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn
from over 5,000,000 company and 10,000,000 individual email addresses
and names were selected from all the continent of
Asia,Europe,America, North
Ame rica,Africa,Middle-East,Austrilia an d
NewZealand which is part of an international promotional program which
takes place every year. we hope with part of your winning,you will
take part in our next year US$150million international lottery.

Remember, all winning must be claimed not later than 25TH MAY
,2008. After this date all unclaimed funds will be declare as UNCLAIM
and will be included in the next stake. Please note in order to avoid
unnecessary delays and complications please remember to quote your
reference number and batch numbers in all correspondence.

Furthermore,should there be any change of email address do inform our
agent as soon as possible.And any winner below the age of 18 is
prohibited for the claim of his or her winning and such winner is
hereby automatically disqualify for filling any claim.

NOTE: please ensure that your winnings notification is been
kept/protected under utmost confidentiality until final claims has
b een processed and prize winning f und remitted to you accordingly to
avoid complications of someone else coming behind you to claim your
winnings.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part
of our promotions programm.

Yours Sincerely,
MR:ANDY JOSE.
CO-ORDINATING OFFICER.
FOR: MANAGEMENTS

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam