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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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)
  • "cheque " (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.
  • sandraoduh@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: emma obi <emmaobi05@msn.com>
Reply-To: <sandraoduh@hotmail.fr>
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:37:53 +0000
Subject: CONTACT SANDRA FOR YOUR DRAFT



The United Nations Compensation Unit, in affiliation with World Bank has recently convened for a meeting with the then Secretary General to the UNITED NATIONS Mr. Koffi Annan This is regarding the lottery draws he organized before he left the office to help individuals to own a self charity organization so as to help th e less privileged in there society We are pleased to inform you that your email address was indicated and was drawn,also attached to a ticket number 001768432463 with serial numbers FTS/78049967841/01 and drew the lucky numbers 50-83-44-88-25-39(14) which subsequently won you $200,000.00 (Two hundred Thousand USA dollars) You are advised to contact Mrs.Sandra Oduh, Special Envoy to Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon of our paying center in Africa, as your winning number was among the list of winners that would be paid from one of our sponsors with world bank Africa unit and she is our representative in Benin Republic, contact her immediately for your Cheque/ International Bank Draft of USD$200,000. This funds are in a Bank Draft,so she will send it to you and you can clear it in any bank of your choice and start up a small NGO in your zone in which we can develop with time depending on your effort Therefore, you should send her your full Names, winning number, telephone number and your correct mailing address where you want her to send the Draft to you Contact Mrs.Sandra Oduh on {sandraoduh@hotmail.fr} immediately to collect your Cheque

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam