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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
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• 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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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 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.
  • agentsteven2000@yahoo.es

Fraud email example:

From: "equitychambers equitychambers" <equitychambers8@mail.mn>
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:45:49 +0100
Subject: Update On Your Lottery Payment.


INTERNATIONAL LOTTO COMMISSION
Juan Hurtado De Mendoza 6D 28044,
Cotonou Republic du Benin

UNCLAIMED LOTTO PRIZE PAYMENT NOTICE

Attention To The Owner Of This Email Address.

Winner in the 2nd category of our Euroafric free Net Lottery Promotional
award draws held February 2008.I am writing in respect to your lotto winning
prize of$715,810.00(Seven hundred and fifteen thousand eight hundred and ten
US Dollars only) which you won through the email-ballot draws in our
Euroafric Lotto Award in 2008 in the second category prize winnings
category.

We wish to inform you that your total prize money of $715,810.00 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.You are
here by requested to contact our Treasury Office through this e-mail
address: agentsteven2000@yahoo.es for your immediate payment.Our Treasury
officer's name is Steve Morris, so refer this to him and contact him
immediately for your unclaimed lotto prize payment to you.

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.

Thanks,

Dr. David Martin
President; Int'l Lotto Commission

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam