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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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.
  • +31644863856 (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.
  • mrvan_gogh12@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: VAN GOGH <vanagent@vanagenthome.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2006 06:43:06 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: CALL TO CONFIRM YOUR WINNING.....


PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARDS ! ! !
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
DEAR SIR/MADAM,
We are pleased to notify you of the release today as
dated of the NL National Lottery/International
Promotions programs held on the 29th day of January
2006. Participants were selected through a computer
ballot system drawn from 98,000 names from Europe,
America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle-East,
Africa, and North & South America as part of our
international promotions program conducted annually to
encourage prospective overseas entries. We hope with
part of your prize awards, you will take part in our
end of year lotto jackpot of 1.3 Billion International
Lottery.
You/Your Company, attached to:
TICKET No: 715 ß?? 4 ß?? 7207-NL,
SERIAL No: 39- 02 ß?? DNL drew the
LUCKY No: 04, 07, 29, 30, 42, 44, 39 and
REFERENCE No: ASL- WF97 ß?? 5G3
BATCH No: OX9T ß?? 7T5T ß?? D3N
As a category B winner, you have been selected by
computer balloting system where only email addresses
are soughted, from a total numbers of 30,000 email
addresses drawn from all over the globe. After an
automated computer ballot of our International
Promotions Program consequently won in the second
Category. You have therefore been awarded a lump sum
pay out of US$5,000,000.00 in cash, which is the
winning payout for second categories winners. This is
from the total prize money of US$46,000,000.00 shared
among the eight international win! ners in the SECOND
category.
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
You have to contact the (VERIFICATION DEPARTMENT) for
immediate remittance; Your E-mail address won the
lucky number. To avoid mix up of numbers and names of
any kind, we request that you keep this award strictly
from public notice until the entire process of
transferring your claims has been completed, and your
funds remitted to your account.
This is part of our security protocol to avoid double
claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this
program. Required by the (NATIONALE POST CODE LOTERIJ
NETHERLANDS).
We also wish to bring to your notice our End of Year
(2006) high stakes where you stand a chance of winning
up to 13 million Euros, we hope that with a part of
your prize you will participate and to begin your
claims process please contact your claims agent.
Customer Service Unit,
NATIONAL POSTCODE LOTERIJ NL.
CONTACT PERSON: Van K.Gogh (MR)
TEL: +31-644-863-856
FAX: +31-205-248-266
EMAIL:mrvan_gogh12@yahoo.com.hk
WEBSITE: www.lotto.nl
Note: To enhance the processing of your claim by our
accredited claim agent, you are advised to officially
introduce yourself to the claim agent and also provide
them with your valid means of your personal
identification with a copy of this awards notification
for references.
Yours truly,
Ickenroth LaRoche (Dr),
THE LOTTERY NATIONALE POSTCODE LOTERIJ N.V.
VAN EEGHENSTRAAT 70,
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam