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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
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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)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +2348035635489 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • agentchris.australialotto2008@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <agentchris.australialotto2008@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:55:55 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS YOUR EMAIL WON THE YEAR LOTTERY AWARD .$400.000


Australian Lottery On-Line
UNI: 24 HIGHER AVENUE HARRIS PARK
GRANVILLE NSW 0152 SYDNEY
AUSTRALIA.

Attn: Sir/Madam,

We wish to inform you that your e-mail ID has just won you the total
sum of $400.000 (FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS )
in the AUSTRALIA LOTTERY PROMO in our 2008 Award Bonanza.

The winning ticket was selected from a Data Base of current Internet
email users on-line, from which your e-mail address came out as the
winning coupon of this month lucky deep-sweepstakes.

Please contact your Claim Agent with the below informations.

Ref: 475061725
Batch: 7056490902/188
Winning no: GB8701/LPRC

1. FULL NAMES: __________
2. HOME ADDRESS: __________
3. SEX: __________
4. AGE: _________
5. OCCUPATION: __________
6. COMPANY: _______ B. POSITION HELD:
7. E-MAIL ADDRESS: _________
8. TELEPHONE NUMBER:_________
9. MONTHLY INCOME ____________
10. COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE: __________

Having your email fall into group A as No 5 winner of the year we have allocated the agent below who will guide you in the necessary lottery claim process.Please contact him immediately in Nigeria to guide and direct you on how to claim yourwinning prize of $400.000 United Stated States Dollars.

Name: Mr Chris Stork
Tel: +234-8035635489
Contact e-mail: (agentchris.australialotto2008@gmail.com)

CONGRATULATIONS Once AGAIN FROM THE AUSTRALIA LOTTERY MANAGEMENT BOARD

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam