419 scam: "Mrs. Maria Chang."<jlombardo@pennpowergroup.com> RE: Dear Winner, Check of $3,000,000.00

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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- ",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)
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.
- timothygribben96@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Maria Chang." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <timothygribben96@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 15 May 2023 23:17:46 -0500
Subject: RE: Dear Winner, Check of $3,000,000.00

PRIME Headquarters/PRIME Lottery Dept
Petuelring 124,
80809 M?nchen, Germany

Dear Winner,

This is to inform you that you have been selected for a Check
of $3,000,000.00 United States Dollars from international programs
held on the 1st section 2023 in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

The selection process was carried out through random selection in our
computerized email selection system (ESS) from a database of over
250,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world
which you were selected.

The PRIME Lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board and also
Licensed by the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR).
For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claim is processed and your prize is handover
to you in your country. This is part of our precautionary measure to
avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. To begin
the processing of your prize you are to contact our fiduciary claims
department for more information as regards procedures to claim your
prize.

Officer In Charge
Name : Timothy Gribben
Email:timothygribben96@gmail.com

Contact him by providing him with your secret pin code Number PRIME
:2551256003/23. You are also advised to provide him with the under
listed information as soon as possible:

1. Name in full.
2. Address.
3. Nationality.
4. Age.
5. Occupation.
6. Phone/Fax.
7. Present Country.
8. Email address.
9. pin code Number PRIME:2551256003/23.

Best Regards,

Mrs. Maria Chang.
THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS
PRIME LOTTERY DEPARTMENT
Petuelring 124,
80809 M?nchen, Germany

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam