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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "international lottery programme"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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.
  • +31616231495 (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.
  • aimquad@aim.com
  • psofeurolottery@gawab.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "psofeurolottery@gawab.com" <psofeurolotterywqigmcnv@gawab.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2006 05:31:52 +0800
Subject:


Sir/Madam.


We are delighted to inform you, of your winning which was released on the
9th of June 2006, from Psof Euro International Lottery programme.Which is
fully based on an electronic selection of winners using their e-mail
addresses from selected sites.

Your email address was attached to ticket number; 47001725.07056490102 and
Serial Number 7741134002. This batch draws the lucky numbers as follows
5-13-33-37-42 and bonus number 17,which consequently won the lottery in the
second category.
You hereby have been approved a lump sum pay of 350,000.00 (THREE HUNDRED
AND FIFTHY THOUSAND EUROS) in cash credited to file ref: ILP/HW 47509/09
from the total winning prize, shared amongst eight lucky winners in this
category.

All participants were selected through a computer balloting system drawn
form Nine Hundred Thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia,United
States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our
International promotion programwhich is conducted annually.

This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomorate of some
multinational
companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the
commmunities where they have an Operational base. Furthermore, your
details(e-mailaddress) falls within our European office in Amsterdam,
Holland as indicated in your play coupon.,

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE:

If you are a Non Resident winner, you will need the legalisation of the
Dutch High Court, and clearance of from the Dutch Gaming Board, before you
prize win money
can be remitted to you. To this end you will need the services of a Claim
agent. We have appointed one, on your behalf in line with the Dutch Gaming
regulation.


You will find as follows the contact details of your claim agent:

QUAD CLAIMS BV
669 Florijn 1102 BA
Tel; +31 616 231 495
Fax: +31 847 218 225
E-Mail: aimquad@aim.com
Amsterdam
Netherlands

For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information
confidential from the public until your claim is processed and your prize
released to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double
claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this programme by
non-participants or unofficial personnel. Note, all winnings MUST be claimed
by the 25th of June, 2006; otherwise all funds will be returned as
Unclaimed.


On behalf of the staff and memeber of the Psof Euro International Lottery
programme , we do congratulate you, once again on your winning.

Sincerely Yours
Becky Anderssen
Psof Euro International Lottery programme
E-Mail: psofeurolottery@gawab.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam