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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims 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 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.
  • dvenser@computermail.net

Fraud email example:

From: "dven dven" <dvelotpro1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: dvenser@computermail.net
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 12:10:41 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION

DE VENSER LOTTERY BV.
AMSTELSTRAAT 202
1108 PT AMSTERDAM,
THE NETHERLANDS.

FROM: OFFICE OF THE PROMOTION MANAGER,
      DE VENSER LOTTERY BV.

REF NO: DVLB/LW-05
BATCH:  MPR/670AR/83DT

Dear Sir / Madam,

             RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION / FINAL NOTICE

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today
of winners of DE VENSER LOTTERY GAME PROMOTION, an
International Program held on 28th January 2005. Your
email address was attached to the ticket number 23021;
with serial number: 63000-77, drew the lucky numbers:
2389500, and consequently won the lottery in category
"A".

You have hereby been approved for a lump sum payment
of US$2M in cash credited to your file REFERENCE
NUMBER:DVLB/LW-05.This is from total prize money of
US$20,000.000.00 shared among the ten (10)
International winners in this category. All
participants were selected through a computer Ballot
system drawn from 100,000 email addresses from all
continents as part of international promotions program
which is conducted annually.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Your fund is now deposited with a Finance House here
in THE NETHERLANDS and insured in your favour. Due to
the mixed up of some numbers and mail addresses we ask
that you keep this award strictly from public notice
until your claim has been processed and your money
remitted to your account. This is part of our security
protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts
by participants of this program.

To begin your claim, please contact our claim
Department below immediately:

MR FRANK WILLIAMS
DIRECTOR CLAIMS
DE VENSER LOTTERY BV., THE NETHERLANDS
E-MAIL ID:dvenser@computermail.net

For due processing and remittance of your prize money
to a designated account of your choice.Remember,all
prize money must be claimed not later than 20th Novermber
, 2005. After this date, all funds will be returned to
us as unclaimed.

NOTE:In order to avoid unnecessary delays and
complication,please remember to quote your reference
and batch numbers in every of your correspondence with
our claim department. Furthermore, should there be any
change of your address, do inform our claims agent as
soon as possible.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you
for being part of our promotions program. You are
advised to contact our claim department on receipt of
this mail for your payment proccessing.

Sincerely,

RUUD VAN GONK
PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
DE VENSER LOTTERY BV.,
THE NETHERLANDS

 

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam