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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.

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 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.
  • +31629463936 (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.
  • compasslotto@netscape.net

Fraud email example:

From: "lotto compass" <lottocompass1@msn.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 11:38:16 +0000
Subject: AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION

COMPASS LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL PROMO/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT.
ADDRESS: JACOB VAN COMPERSTRAAT 78, 1123 NH, AMSTERDAM -THE NETHERLANDS.
REF: MLI/DA965I-02/GF
BATCH: 9941/737867/SJ
ATTENTION:
RE / AWARD NOTIFICATION / PROCESSING ADVICE: MLI
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 21st October,
2005
of winners of the SCIENTIFIC GAME PROMO LOTTERY; THE NETHERLANDS /
INTERNATIONAL, PROGRAMS. Your email address attached to ticket number
025/078742; with serial number 05908 drew the lucky numbers
25-35-09-74-82,
and consequently won the lottery in the 1st category. You have
therefore been approved of a lump sum pay out of 1,000,000 Euros (ONE
MILLION
Euros) in credited to file REF NO. MLI/DA965I-02/GF. This is from total
prize money of 15,900,000.00Euros shared among the international
winners in our 1st - 4th categories. All participants were selected
through a
computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 company email addresses and
30,000,000 individual email addresses from Australia, New Zealand,
America, Europe, North America and Asia as part of International
Promotions
Program, which is conducted annually. CONGRATULATIONS!
Your fund is now in custody of a Financial Security company insured in
your FILE REFERENCE. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, 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.
This lottery program was organized by our group of philanthropist
promoted and sponsored by Mr. Bill Gates of Microsoft Inc, eminent
personalities like the sultan of Brunei, Multi Choice and other
corporate
Organizations. This lottery program was organized to improve the use of
computer software and for the benefit of every Microsoft user. We hope
with
part of your prize, you will support our enormous programs around the
world as we wish to align you in advance.
To begin your claim, please contact your file/processing officer:
MR DAVID PEEN
COMPASS LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL
(AMSTERDAM - THE NETHERLANDS).
Email address:
compasslotto@netscape.net
On TEL: 0031-629-463-936
Be informed that non -residence of the Netherlands will have their win
processed accordingly, as required by the Netherlands Gaming Board
(NGB) prior to award payment policy for international winners and also
required by your authorized paying Bank. Be advised that your paying
Bank
will effect payment swiftly upon satisfactory report, verifications and
validation provided by this processing Agent. All prize money must be
claimed not later than THREE (3) weeks of receipt of this notice. After
this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed.
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delay and complications, please
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your
correspondences with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any
change
of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.
Congratulations once again from our team of staff and thank you for
being
part of our promotional program.
Note: Anybody under the age of 18 is AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED.
Sincerely,
Mr Kenneth Kerr
Lottery Coordinator, COMPASS LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL, THE -NETHERLANDS.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam