419 scam: "Graen Van Michel."<austraianlottery@prom.com> IMPORTANT NOTICE.

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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:

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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
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.
- royalshellmary@aol.com (AOL; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Graen Van Michel." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <austlotnow@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:10:08 -0800
Subject: IMPORTANT NOTICE.

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL (NGO).
KONINGINNE JULIANAPLEIN 21,
1103 CA, THE HAGUE.
THE NETHERLANDS

BENEFICIARY “A”

Dear Funds Beneficiary
This is to notify you that you have been officially chosen by the Board of Trustees of the
Royal Dutch Shell Foundation International (N.G.O. NETHERLANDS) as one of the final
recipients of a cash Grant/Donation for Economic Growth and a Poverty Alleviation
Scheme through your email.
It will interest you to know that your email address was selected from your country's chambers
of commerce, due to an internet random selection and you have been confirmed as one of the
lucky recipients of this year's donation programme.
You are also entitled to the sum of $1,500,000.00 Dollars (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand
Dollars) as charity donations/aid from the Royal Dutch Shell Foundation (NETHERLANDS)
International donation scheme.

Further information on the processing and disbursement of your grant entitlements, along side the
provision of your qualification documentations, will be disclosed to you by the National Secretary
of the foundation, Dr. Mary Nelson (Mrs.)
Please contact her with your Qualification Number [MSI /108/739/KDK]
Send your Full Names, Address, Age, Occupation,
Telephone numbers as soon as possible to Dr. Mary Nelson (Mrs.)

Email: royalshellmary@aol.com
Shell Foundation International, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Dutch_Shell

Signed: Mr. Howard Alexander.
Programme Director.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam