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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +31612026657 (Netherlands, 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.
  • lucky2005nl@yahoo.co.in

Fraud email example:

From: LUCKY DAY LOTTERY <lucky2005nl@web.de>
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 00:17:40 +0200
Subject: FROM: LUCKY DAY LOTTERY OCTOBER RESULT




FROM: LUCKY DAY LOTTERY OCTOBER RESULT
BURDENSTRAAT 22 1053 DS
AMSTERDAM (THE NETHERLANDS)
http://www.luckyday.nl
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
FROM THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION/PRIZE WARD DEPT.
WINNING NOTIFICATION
DEAR SIR/MADAM,
RESULTS FOR CATEGORY "A" DRAWS
Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice, the results of the Category "A" draws of LUCKYDAY LOTTERY NL. We are happy to inform you that you have emerged a winner under the First Category, which is part of our > promotional draws. The draws were held on the 13th September 2005 and results were officially announced today 19th October 2005.Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 4,000,000 names/email addresses of individuals and companies from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and New Zealand as part of our International Promotions Program. You/Your Company, attached to ticket number369-555-876/6181-22, with serial number 90-77 drew the lucky numbers 29,41,20,39,48,44(01), and consequently won in the Category "A”. You have therefore been awarded a lump sum pay out of 1,000,000.00 UNITED STATE DOLLARS (0NE MILLION DOLLARS) which is the winning payout for Category "A" winners. This is from the total prize of 2 MILLION DOLLARS Shared among the 2international winners in this category.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your forms have been submitted to our head office. In your best interest and also to avoid mix up of numbers and names of any kind, we request that you keep the entire details of your award strictly from public notice until the process of transferring your claims has been completed, and your funds remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants/no participants of this program. We also wish to bring to your notice our mid year (2006) high stakes where you stand a chance of winning up to U$10.Million, we hope that with a part of your prize you will participate. Please contact your claim agent immediately, He will send you the winner forms to complete and direct you on how to collect your payment. You are advised initiate contact with him so you will be duly informed on proceedures to collect your payment;

DR. DAVID ANDERSON
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
LUCKY DAY LOTTERY NL.
REG.OFFICE HOLENRECHTSTR 305,2401XZ
DEN HAAG THE NETHERLANDS
EMAIL:lucky2005nl@yahoo.co.in
Tel:+31612026657

For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice. Remember, you must contact your claim agent not late than 21th October 2005. After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed and all contact must be via email or through fax or Tel-num from your claim agent.

DR. DAVID ANDERSON.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam