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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +31616567436 (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.
  • my.pay@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: mike sony <my.pay@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 13:58:42 +0200
Subject: good news have come you ,this is you day.congratulations


FROM:LOTTERY COORDINATOR,
INT. PROMOTIONS AND PRICE AWARD DEPARTMENT
Southern Avenue 12900 kd .
RESULTS FOR CATEGORY "A" DRAWS

Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice, the results of the
First Category draws of E-MAIL LOTTERY. We are happy to inform you that
you have emerged a winner under the First Category, which is part of
our promotional draws. The draws were held
on 21st /07/ 2006 and results are being officially announced today 20th
/09/ 2006. Participants were selected through a computer ballot system
drawn from 2,500,000 email addresses of individuals and companies from
Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania as
part of our International Promotions Program. Your e-mail address,
attached to ticket number 675432890044/376, with serial number 2200-33 drew
the lucky numbers 1-0-11-44-03-22 and consequently won in the First
Category. You have therefore been awarded a lump sum
pay out of Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($500.000,00),
which is the winning payout for Category A winners. This is from the
total prize money from 1,500,000 USD shared among the 2 winners in this
category.
Your fund is now deposited with the paying Bank. In your best interest
to avoid mix up of numbers and names of any kind, we request that you
keep the entire details of your award strictly from public notice until
the 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 / non
participants of this program. Please contact your claims agent immediately for
due processing and remittance of your prize money to a
designated account of your choice:
To file for your claim, kindly contact your CLAIMS agent.
Dr. Percy Desmond Wil

Claims Agency
Telephone 0031-616567436
Email: my.pay@hotmail.com


The Netherland.
You are advised to contact the agents by email.
NOTE: For easy reference and identification, find below your reference
and Batch
numbers. Remember to quote these numbers in every one of your
correspondence with your
claims agent. REFERENCE NUMBER: GPINT/7980/4376/06 BATCH
NUMBER:33/904/G3K
Congratulations once again
from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions
program.
Sincerely Yours,
Mr - mike sony
PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam