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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:
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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "micro lottery international"
• 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.
  • +31619070629 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "d_holidrijk@go.com" <d_holidrijk@go.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 08:25:22 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!! CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS COORDINATOR


MICRO LOTTERY INTERNATIONALVIJZELSTRAAT 56, 1017 HD,AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.

FILE REFERENCE NO:PP2005-001-MLIBATCH: 1505/004NL

TO WINNERS IN OUR PROGRAM

We wish to congratulate you over your success in our computer ballotingsweepstake held on 20th October 2005.

This is a millennium scientific computer game in which email addresses were used. It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users; therefore you do not need to buy ticket to enter for it. However, your email address was attached to ticket number 10CBG3471913; with serial number 19034 draw the lucky numbers 1-9-74-31, which eventuallywon the lottery in the first category of the draws. This entitled to a cash award of US$ 2, 500,000.00 (TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S DOLLARS). This is from total prize money of US$30,000,000.00 distributed to winners from 1st to 3rd categories.

Note that this program was largely promoted and sponsored by a group of philanthropist, industrialists from the internet ware industry and some other big multinational firms who wish to be anonymous.

To begin your claim, please contact the claims coordinator

DR. RUPERT STIJNEmail address: m_lotterynl@walla.comTEL: +31 619 070 629
Yours Faithfully,For: Micro Lottery Int'lMRS. DENSIE DE HOLIDRIJK

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam