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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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)
• 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.
  • +447045746552 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • johnsonduke_52@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: Australian Lottery Lotto Promo 2008 <hugman06@q.com>
Reply-To: <johnson_duke52@luckymail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:20:41 +0000
Subject: Congratulation! Your E-Mail Has Won ($500,000.00).



COOL STREETPAULGREENVULLE Ax34587,AUSTRALIA.Ref: 435062725Batch: 7050490902/189Winning no: GB8101/LPRCCONGRATULATIONS!!Dear Sir/Madam,We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 21th of Octorber .2008, from the Australian Lotto incorporated program. This is a bonus to promote lotto in Australia which is fully based on an electronic selection of winners using their e-mail addresses form some site.Your email address was attached to ticket number; 4700172507056490102 serial number 7741134 002 this batch draws the lucky numbers as follows 5-13-33-37-42 bonus number17, which consequently won the lotto in the second category.You here by have been approved a lump sum pay of US$500,000.00 (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/09 from the total cash prize shared amongst eight lucky winners in this category. All participant 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 promotions program which is conducted annually.This Lotto was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of some multinational companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base.Further more 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$500,000.00 will be released to you from this regional branch office in UNITED KINGDOM AND NIGERIA RESPECTIVELY. We hope with part of your prize, yo u will participate in our end of year high stakes for US$1.3 Billion international draw.HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Simply contact our fiduciary agent, Mr. Johnson Duke E-mail address johnsonduke_52@yahoo.com Or johnson_duke52@luckymail.com, to file for your claim. Contact him Monday to Friday. Phone: +447045746552by filling this form below and send it to him to file for your claim. LOTTERY WINNERS APPLICATION FORM OF PAYMENT.FULL NAME.................................................DATE OF BIRTH.........................................ADDRESS...................................................SEX..........................................................AGE........................................................NATIONALITY...........................................AMOUNT WON............................................OCCUPATION............................................TELEPHONE.............................................EMAIL.....................................................DATE......................................................WINNER REF/BATCH NO...........................APPROVED FOR PAYMENT.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 program by non-participant or unofficial personnel. Note, all winnings MUST be claimed by the 30th of October 2008; otherwise e all funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually donated to charity organizations . Congratulations once again on your winnings!!! Best Regards Carol Sweet (co coordinator) PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT AT johnsonduke_52@yahoo.com Or johnson_duke52@luckymail.com, ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION.Yours faithfully,Carol SweetOnline coordinator for AUSTRALIAN LOTTO PROGRAMME, Sweepstakes International Program.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam