419 scam: "AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY INC." <mrbenfoster4@att.net> CONGRATULATIONS''YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS HAVE WON $500.000USD ONLY.

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
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)
- "international lottery programme" (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)
- "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)
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
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.
- +2348060928943 (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.
- auslotto.agent009@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY INC." <mrbenfoster4@att.net>
Reply-To: auslotto.agent009@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:04:57 -0800 (PST)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS''YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS HAVE WON $500.000USD ONLY.

FROM: THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL

PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARDS DEPARTMENT AUSTRALIAN

INTERNATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY CORPORATION.

Winning Numbers:11 13 26 34 44 48

AWARD NOTIFICATION: FINAL NOTICE

We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on

the 26th of January, 2010 from the Australian International

Lottery Programme with the following information:

Date:28/01/2010

Ref: 575061725

Batch: 8056490902/188

Winning no: KB8701/LPRC.

AUSTRALIA.www.australianlottogame.gr.st

Which is fully based on an electronic selection of winners

using their e-mail addresses.Your name was attached to ticket

number; 5750617258056490902 serial number 6741137002 This

batch draws the lucky numbers as follows: 11-13- 26-34-44-48

bonus number 17,which consequently won the lottery in the

second category.You hereby have been approved a prize of

US$500,000.00 (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) in cash

credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/02 from the total cash prize shared

amongst eight lucky winners in this category.

All participants were selected through a computer balloting

system drawn from One hundred thousand E-mail addresses

from Canada,Australia, United States, Asia, Europe, Middle

East and Africa as part of our international promotions program

which is conducted annually.

This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate

of some multinational companies in Australia 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 our Australian regional branch

bureau in NIGERIA.We hope with part of your prize, you 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, DR STEVE WILLIAMS,.

at;

E-MAIL:auslotto.agent009@gmail.com

Phone:+234-80-60-928-943

DR STEVE WILLIAMS.

(AGENT MANAGER)

While contacting Dr.Steve Williams, furnish him with the

information below for the immediate processing and payment

of your prize.

FULL NAMES OF BENEFICIARY:....................

CONTACT ADDRESS:..............................

NATIONALITY:.................................

SEX:..........................................

AGE:..........................................

MARITAL STATUS:...............................

TEL NO:.......................................

OCCUPATION:...................................

METHOD OF PAYMENT

Courier Company:?

OR

Bank To Bank Transfer(BTB)?

(Fast Electronic Fund Transfer)(FEFT)

For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information

confidential from the public until your claim is processed and your

prize has been released to you. This is part of our security

protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted taking advantage

of this programme by non-participant or unofficial personnel.

Note, all winnings MUST be claimed before 30th of August 2010,

otherwise all funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually

donated to charity.

Congratulations once again on your winning!

ALSO ENSURE YOU TYPE THE EMAIL ADDRESS CORRECTLY TO

ENSURE SAFE& QUICK MAIL DELIVERY/RESPONSE. ANY BREACH

OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF WINNERS WILL RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION.

Best Regards.

ENGR.MUSTAFA JOHN,

(CO-ORDINATOR)

MRS MARIA FARNN,

(SUPERITENDENT)

SIR RICHARD PILy,

(DIRECTOR)

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT AT THE EMAIL ADDRESS

BELOW:(auslotto.agent009@gmail.com)

Yours Truly.

Congratulations once more!! !!! !!!! !!!!!.

Copyright © 2010 AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY INC.! All rights reserved!

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam