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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• 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)
  • "international lottery programme" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims 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)
  • "certified bank draft" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • revfrjohncampbell.lottoagent@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Australia Lottery Programme <lmdmom@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:00:03 -0400
Subject: Congratulations!!

AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY INC,
6123 COOL STREET ROAD
SOMEWHEREVALUE AX34587,
AUSTRALIA.


Date:28th/8/2008
Ref: 435062725
Batch: 7050470902/189
Winning no: GB8101/LPRC

CONGRATULATIONS!! CONGRATULATIONS!! CONGRATULATIONS!!

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are delighted to inform you of your prize which was
released on the 28th of AUGUST 2008, from the
Australian International Lottery programme,which is
fully based on an electronic selection of winners
using their e-mail addresses from some sites. Your
email address was attached to ticket number; 47001725
07056490102 and serial number 7741134002. This batch
draws the lucky numbers as follows 5-13-33-37-42 and
bonus number 17,which consequently won the lottery in
the second category.

You hereby have been approved a lump sum pay
ofUS$300,000.00 (THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) in
cashcredit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/09 from the total
cash prize shared amongst eight lucky winners in this
category. All participants were selected through a
computer balloting system drawn form Nine hundred
thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia,
United States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and
Oceania as part of our international promotion program
which is conducted annually. This Lottery was promoted
and sponsored by a conglomorate of some multinational
companies as part of their social responsibility to
the citizens in the commmunities where they have an
operational base. Furthermore, your details(e-mail
address) falls within our European representative
office in Amsterdam, Holland as indicated in your play
coupon and your prize of US$300,000.00 will be
released to you from this regional branch office in
NIGERIA. We hope that with part of your prize, you
will participate in our end of year high stakes for
US$1.3 Billion international draw.

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Simply contact our fiducial
agent,REV FR JOHN CAMPBELL at to file for your
claim.
Please quote your reference, batch and winning number
which can be found on the top left corner of this
notification as well as your full name, address and
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 released to you.
This is part of our security protocol to avoid double
claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this
programme by non-participants or unofficial personnel.
Note, all winnings MUST be claimed by the 29TH of
SEPTEMBER,2008; otherwise all funds will be returned
as Unclaimed and eventually donated to charity
organisations.
AUSTRALIAN.

EMAIL CONTACT:revfrjohncampbell.lottoagent@gmail.com

You are therefore advised to send the following
information to him to facilitate them and process the
transfer of your fund with the appointed paying bank.

Send your Identification Numbers/Your Personal
Information to her immediately:

Personal Information
1. Full name.............................

2. Country...............................

3. Contact Address.......................

4. Telephone Number.....................

5. Marital Status.......................

6. Occupation............................

7. Age...................................

8. Sex...................................

9.Means For Transfer Or Payment.
1 International Certified Bank Draft.
2 Account Transfer.

If Account Transfer write the name of bank and your
account No.....

Name of Bank...........................

Account No............................

Signature.......................

Date.........................

PLEASE CONTACT REV FR JOHN CAMPBELL, so that he
will tell you of how you will receive your winning
prize.
Name: REV FR JOHN CAMPBELL

Email:revfrjohncampbell.lottoagent@gmail.com

Congratulations once again on your win!!!
Best Regards (co-ordinator)
DR GEORGE SMITH.

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY THIS EMAIL. CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS
AGENT AT ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF
THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam