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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.

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

• 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.
  • +6614919460 (Thailand, probably a 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.
  • coordinatoralim@sanook.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Thomas Wignall" <promotionlist@she.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: coordinatoralim@sanook.com
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 01:48:16 +0700
Subject: AWARD WINNINGS NOTIFICATION!!!


DATE: 27TH OF AUGUST 2006.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT.
PACIFIC PROMOTIONS ORGANIZATION PRIZE/AWARD
BANGKOK THAILAND.
BATCH: EGS/33504992/03: REFERENCE: 17/9918/IPD

ATTENTION: CONGRATULATIONS!

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the of the PACIFIC PROMOTIONS ORGANIZATION PRIZE DRAW PROGRAMS held on the 6th of June, 2006, and the result were released on 29th July 2006. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 065-12855077-09 with serial number 77390 that drew the lucky number of 05-05-17-18-28-38, which consequently won the lottery in the 5th category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay of $600.000. ( Six Hundred Thousand United State Dollars ).

CONGRATULATIONS!!

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 25.000 Company and 40.000 individual email addresses and names from Middle East, Asia, Africa, Canada, Europe North and South America, Oceania and around the world. To begin your lottery claims, please contact our Co-ordinator as follows,

Name: Mr Albert Lim
Tel: +66-1-4919460
Email: coordinatoralim@sanook.com

Due to mix up of some numbers and addresses, we ask that you keep your Winning information confidential until your claims have been processed. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participant. Please, note that all winnings must be claimed not later than 5th Oct, 2006. After this date all unclaimed winnings will be null and void. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all correspondence.

Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our
Co-ordinator as soon as possible. Congratulations once more and thank you for being part of our promotional program. Note: Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.

Sincerely ,
Dr Thomas Wignall.
Vice President,
Pacific Promotions Bangkok Thailand.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam