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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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.
  • +31615492221 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: stef stef <stef@stefstef.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:54:25 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: YOU EMAIL ATTENTION DR. VAN BURKE MOORE. !!!


YOU EMAIL ATTENTION DR. VAN BURKE MOORE. !!!
STAATSLOTERIJ JACKPOT AND PROMOTIONS!!!
KHORHOSTRAAT 155,
AMSTERDAM,
THE NETHERLANDS.
FROM:THE DESK OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT,
SCFN:ABN/5333/025648/03UA.
BATCH:245/2002/GWK
Attn:
WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU TODAY THE 17TH OF OCT ,
2006. RESULT OF THE STAATSLOTERIJ JACKPOT AND
PROMOTIONS,NETHERLANDS. HELD ON 16TH OF OCT. 2006.
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS ATTACHED TO THE TICKET
NO:1001-55896542-5899 WITH SERIAL NO:6666/05 DREW FROM
THE LUCKY NO:02-22-00-66-99-85-52-12-36-50, WHICH
CONSEQUENTLY WON THE LOTTERY IN THE FIRST CATEGORY.
YOU HAVE THEREFORE BEEN APPROVED FOR A LUMP SUM PAY
OUT OF ONE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS
(US$1,000,000.00)IN CASH CREDITED TO SECURITY FILE
NUMBER ABN/5333/025648/03UA.THIS IS FROM A TOTAL CASH
PRIZE OF US$4 MILLION SHARE AMONG FOUR INDIVIDUALS IN
THIS CATEGORY.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!.
DUE TO MIXED UP OF SOME NUMBERS AND NAMES, WE ASK THAT
YOU KEEP THIS WINNING INFORMATIONS OUT OF THE PUBLIC
NOTICE UNTIL YOUR CLAIM HAS BEEN PROCESSED AND YOUR
FUNDS REMITTED TO YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNT AS THIS
IS PART OF THE SECURITY PROTOCOL, TO AVOID DOUBLE
CLAIMING OR UNWARRANTED COMPLICATIONS OF THIS PROGRAM
BY PARTICIPANTS.
ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED THROUGH A COMPUTER
BALLOT SYSTEM DRAWN FROM 500,000 COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL
EMAIL ADDRESSES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AS PART OF OUR
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS PROGRAMM WHICH WE CONDUCT
EVERY FIVE YEARS.
TO BEGIN YOUR CLAIMS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR AGENT.
DR. VAN BURKE MOORE
(Director of operations).
TEL: +31-615-492-221.
FAX: +31-847-304-221.
Email:gsmfinance202@aol.com
FOR PROCESSING AND REMMITTANCE OF YOUR WINNING CASH
INTO A DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE,
REMEMBER,ALL WINNINGS MUST BE CLAIM NOT LATER THAN
3TH OCT. 2006,AFTER THIS DATE,
ALL UNCLAIM FUNDS WILL BE RETURNED TO THE PROMOTION COMPANY.
NOTE: IN ORDER TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DELAYS AND
COMPLICATIONS, PLEASE REMEMBER TO QUOTE YOUR SECURITY
FILE NUMBER AND BATCH NUMBERS RESPECTIVELYIN EVERY
CORRESPONDENCE TO YOUR CLAIM AGENT. FURTHERMORE,
SHOULD THERE BE ANY CHANGE OF YOUR ADDRESS, DO INFORM
YOUR CLAIM AGENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. CONGRATULATIONS
ONCE AGAIN FROM ALL MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF AND THANK YOU
FOR BEING PART OF OUR PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMME.
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
STEFANIA DER HELDER
(PROMOTION MANAGER).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam