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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:
  • "national lottery promotion" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
  • ",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)
  • "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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • coordinator_20008@yahoo.co.jp (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <asiaplottery20008@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2008 10:50:16 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!





ASIA PACIFIC LOTTERY



ASIA PACIFIC LOTTERY ASSOCIATION
3 Rajdamnern Avenue Bangkok 10200
FROM: THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT.
BATCH: EGS/ 22504002/03
REFERENCE: 15/0018/IPD
Dear Winner,

We happily announce to you the release of ASIA PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROMOTION PRIZE DRAW held on the 28th of october, 2008, but owing to some mix up of email addresses the results were released on the 7th of Nevember, 2008. We wish to congratulate you over your email address success in our computer balloting. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 085-12876077-09 with serial number 51390-0 that drew the lucky Numbers of 03-06-08-10-12-16, 27, which subsequently won you one of the two Jackpot prizes in the 5th category. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$480, 000. 00. (FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS ONLY. This is from a total cash prize of US$12,000,000.00 (TWELVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS, shared among the twenty-five international winners in this category. The lucky numbers: 03, 06, 08, 10, 12, 27 CONGRATULATIONS!!! All participants for the online version were selected randomly from the World Wide Web through a computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, North and South America, Middle East and Africa, as part of our International Promotions Program. Remember that you did not buy any ticket for this program as it is a promotional one that takes place once yearly. Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our Asian booklet representative office in Asia as indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, your US$480,000 would be released to you by any of our payment offices in Asia.

To file for your claim, please contact our coordinator:Mr. Sutas PotongEmail: coordinator_20008@yahoo.co.jp

Provide him with the information below:

1. Name:
2. Address:
3. Marital Status:
4. Occupation:
5. Age:
6. Sex:
7. Nationality:
8. Country Of Residence:
9. Telephone Number:
10. Fax Number:
11. Draw Number above:
12. Notification Date: That way your Winnings Certificate and all other relevant documents/paperwork will be prepared for you.

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 part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned. Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than 14 days from the date of notification. Any claim not made by this date will be returned to HER MAJESTYS DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY.
Good luck from me and members of staff of the ASIA PACIFIC LOTTERY ASSOCIATION. Yours faithfully,Mrs. Fiona Wong,Vice President Asia Pacific Lottery Association.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam