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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "australian lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "overseas claims unit" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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.
  • +2348057693881 (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.
  • remittence_point@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3aremittence_point@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Australialottery@australia.com" <austrialain_claimoffice@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: remittence_point@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 13:12:50 +0100
Subject: AUSTRALIAN ONLINE LOTTERY. CONGRATULATE YOU.!!!


* AUSTRALIAN ONLINE LOTTERY. *
The Lottery
P O Box 1010
Sydney, Australia
(Customer Services)
*
**YOUR WINNING NOTIFICATION:*
*Ref.Number:AA4/254-01*
***Batch: 5083**0733198-BTA/07* *Dear Lucky Winner**,*
*Congratulations as we happily announce to you today that the draw.*
*Of the AUSTRALIAN ONLINE LOTTERY, online International Lottery program
held on the 26st May. 2008 in Australia. Your e-mail address attached to
ticket number: A27987-238 with Serial number 162-629 drew the lucky numbers:
*
*(6-18-87-43-69-60)*
*The Bonus Ball [02], which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd
category i.e, matches 3 plus bonus. You have therefore been approved to
claim a total sum of US$250,000.00(Two Hundred and fify Thousand United
States Dollars Only) credited to file nos KTU/2643418453/07. *
*All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World
Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000
email addresses of unions, associations and corporate bodies that are listed
online. This promotion takes place yearly. Please note that your lucky
winning number falls within our U booklet representative office in west
africa as indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, Your US$250,000
(Two Hundred and fify Thousand United States Dollars) would be released to
you by our payment offices here in west africa. Our west african agent
Mr Chambers Williams, will immediately commence the process to facilitate
the release of your funds as soon as you contact him. For security reasons,
you are advised to keep your winning information confidential until your
claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you
deem fit to claim your prize.***
*
This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted abuse of this program. *
*Please be warned. To claim your won prize money, please contact our claims
agent with the verification form below:***
*Overseas Claims Unit**
West African Fiduciary Agent for AUSTRALIAN PROMOTIONS.*
* **From Sydney Australia** ** *
*Tel:+2348057693881 *
* **Email:remittence_point@hotmail.com*

*KINDLY FILL THE CLAIMS VERIFICATION/PROCESSING FORM BELOW SEND TO HIM:***
*FULL NAMES OF BENEFICIARY:......................…..***
*CONTACT ADDRESS:................................…………***
*CITY/STATE:.....................................………………....***
*COUNTRY:........................................…………………..***
*NATIONALITY:....................................……………......***
*SEX:.......................AGE:.................…………………....***
*MARITAL STATUS: .................................…………....***
*TEL NO: ............................FAX:.............……………....***
***OCCUPATION: ......................…………………………***
* AMOUNT WON:.....................................……………….
REFENCE NO:................ BATCH NO: ............…........

Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of
your funds as soon as you contact him on the email and telephone stated
above. You may wish to establish contact with him via e-mail with the
particulars presented above citing the batch and reference numbers to this
letter. All Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of
confidentiality, and press anonymity until the end of the proceedings, and
beyond where they so desire. Be further advised to maintain the strictest
level of confidentiality until the end of proceedings to circumvent problems
associated with fraudulent claims. This is part of our precautionary measure
to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. PLEASE DO
NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, BUT CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT DIRECTLY BY
E-Mail:remittence_point@hotmail.com <E-Mail%3Aremittence_point@hotmail.com>

****Goodluck from me and members of staff of the AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY INC.*
** * [image: Derbyshire Shop Syndicate]
*
* [image: Diane Downing]
Yours Faithfully,
Mrs Michael Grace Pyn.
Online coordinator for AUSTRALIAN ON-LINE PROMOTIONS.
International Program.
Copyright (c) 2006-2008 The Australain Online Lottery Inc.
All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Guidelines
*
**
* [image: You must be 16 or over to play or claim a prize]*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam