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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.

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:
  • " lotto international " (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
• 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.
  • sirfredbush@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY INC" <alwinners1@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 09:56:20 +0100
Subject: NOTIFICATION ON YOUR WINNING


*Date: 2/7/2008
Ref: 575061/03
Batch: 8056490902/188
Winning Numbers 1 2 26 30 40 21
AWARD NOTIFICATION: FINAL NOTICE

Attn: Winner,

We are happy to inform you that your email address have emerged winner of
FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ($400,000.00) in category 'A'
Lotto Award Ref No: ILP/HW46704/03. For the immediate release of your funds,
you are to forward this message details to our agent and Please quote your
Date of draw,Reference Number, Batch Number and Winning Number,which can be
found on the top-left corner of this message.

Also, you should give in your telephone number to help locate your file
easily.For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information
confidential from the public until your claim is processed and your prize
has been released to you and also to the public.

This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted taking advantage of this programme by non-participant or
unofficial personnel.

Contact your claims agent: Sir Fred BUsh
Email: sirfredbush@gmail.com

Note: All winnings MUST be claimed before the 29th of July 2008; otherwise
all funds will be forfeited.

Congratulations once again on your winning .

BEST REGARDS
LINNA MARTINS (MRS)
(LOTTERY COORDINATOR)

(c) Copyright 1999-2008 Australia lotto International . All rights reserved.
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam