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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:
  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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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)
  • "lagos" (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 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.
  • +2347028691342
• 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.
  • paymentagentawardwinners@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Laura Laura" <paymentwinners05@beehive.org>
Reply-To: mrnewmanjude2006@hotmail.com
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:16:16 +0100
Subject: INTERNATIONAL/PRIZE AWARD DEPT


FROM THE DESK OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL/PRIZE AWARD DEPT

CONTACT ADDRESS:NO,144 GLOBAL AVENUE
VICTORIA ISLAND LAGOS NIGERIA.

WINNING NUMBERS:37-13-43-85-67-11.BV
REF:S6376527711
BATCH:S7151085135

Attn: Winner,

We are please to announce to you as one of the 10 lucky winners in National
the Free Lotto draw held on the 20th OF JUNE 2008. All 10 winning addresses
were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 International emails.

Your email address emerged alongside 9 others as a category one winner in
this year's Annual FreeLotto Draw.

Consequently,you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of
$3.500,00USD(Three million, Five hundred Thuosand (Dollars only)
CONGRATULATIONS!!! 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 40,000 company and 20,000,000 individual email addresses and names from
all over the world.

This promotional program takes place every year. This lottery was promoted
and sponsored by Association of software producers. We hope with part of
your winning,you will take part in our next year US$20 million international
lottery.For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning
information confidential till your claims is processed and your money
remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.

This is a part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements.

Please be warned. To file for your claim, please Call or email our fiduciary
agent with the below details for processing of your claims:

NAME:DR NEWMAN JUDE.
(CHIEF FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
NATIONAL LOTTERY NIGERIA LTD.)
Tele:+ 234-702-869 1342
EMAIL: paymentagentawardwinners@gmail.com

Remember, all winning must be claimed not later than 30th JULY,2008.After
this date all unclaimed funds 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 address do inform
our agent as soon as possible.
Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for being
part of our promotional program.

Final Kindly add your telephone number and full name.

Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Laura Obi.
AFRO-ASIAN Zonal Coordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam