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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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 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.
  • +34634182395 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: teresagarcia_elgordo <teresagarcia_elgordo@libero.it>
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:04:43 +0100
Subject: Mrs.Angela Lopez

Mrs.Angela Lopez

You are lucky to have been selected
among the 50 Recipient,your Email
Address attached to a Ticket Number(KL 045905)
has won an Award Sum of of 1,200,000.00.
(One Million Two Hundred Thousand Euros)
in Elgordo de la Primitiva.
For further inquiry,please Contact
our Fiduciary Agent:
Name: Mr.Gerald Erichsen
Tel: +34-634-182-395
Email: elgordodelaprimitivas@ozu.es
elgordodelprimitivas@ozu.es
Cheers
Mrs.Angela Lopez.


The information transmitted in this email message is confidential and solely intended for the addressee. Publication, copying, dispersal and/or transmitting this information is not permitted without express prior written permission from Nyenrode Business Universiteit. Nyenrode is not liable for the correct and full transmission of the content of any email message sent, or for its timely reception. No contract can arise by means of email. This can only come about on headed letter paper with an original signature from the authorized individual.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam