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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.

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")
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +2348036987009 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:37:37 +0100
Subject: FOR VERIFICATION BEFORE TRANSFER.



ECONOMIC COMMUNITY FOR WEST AFRICAN STATES Official Head Quaters, 101, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro District P.M.B. 401 Abuja, Nigeria Tel:+2348036987009 http://www.ecowas.int

================================
BATCH NUMBER: ECW 09192XNREF NUMBER:ECW35447XNWINNING NUMBER: ECW09788
============================

ATTN: WINNER,
I have just received your mail, thank you for contacting us. You actually won a donation prize of $850,000 USD in the ECOWAS DONATIONS 2008 and as your fiduciary agent, I have been assigned to assist you in claiming your winnings as soon as possible. This is a promotional draw which officially launches the new system. With funds accrued exclusively from previous draws, payouts to all winners are guaranteed and will be transferred in record time. This correspondence officially confirms that we are in receipt of instructions relating to the payment of your donation winnings. Please complete the form below with correct informations and return back to us via email.

Looking forward to your swift response.

Congratulations once again on your winnings!!!

Yours Faithfully,

BARRY JONES
Fiduciary AgentPhone: +234 8036987009

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION SHOULD BE SUPPLIED COMPREHENSIVELY BY THE BENEFICIARY OF THE STATED FUNDS, FOR VERIFICATION BEFORE TRANSFER.




1.FULL NAMES OF DONATION BENEFICIARY:


2.RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS:


3.DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH:


4.WINNING EMAIL:
5.PHONE/FAX NUMBERS:


6.NAME AND ADDRESS OF NEXT OF KIN:


7.SEX:


8.OCCUPATION:


9.MARITAL STATUS:


10.NATIONALITY:





11.REF. NUMBER AND COUPON NUMBER:


12. AMOUNT WON:

DECLARATION:

I...............HEREBY DECLARE THAT THE ABOVE DATA ARE TRUE. IN CASE OF ANY UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCE,MY NEXT OF KIN HAS THE RIGHT TO CLAIM MY TOTAL WINNINGS.(FIDUCIARY AGENT) SHALL ACT AS MY AGENT IN FACILITATING THE TRANSFER OF THE TOTAL FUND TO ME.

DATE: ---------------------========================================================

This email and its attachments are confidential and intended for the exclusive use of the addressee(s).This email and its attachments may also be privileged or protected by legal rules. If you have received this by mistake please let us know by reply immediately and/or destroy the email and its atta
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam