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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "into 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)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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 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.
  • infodepptt@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Lyn Marcel <lyn@lynmarcel.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:54:45 +0100 (CET)
Subject: YOU HAVE WON.


FROM THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR
EURO ZONAL MANAGER
PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
LOTTER LOTTERY (LA PRIMITIVA)
Dear Winner,
We are pleased to inform you the result of the computer random selection for The LOTTER LOTTERY (LA PRIMITIVA) International program held on 28th of October ,2006.Your personal or company email address, attached to serial number 3341-09 drew the lucky numbers 9-18-20-26-22-50, and consequently won the lottery in the 2nd category.
The email lottery draws was conducted from an exclusive list of 900,000.000 e-mail addresses of individual, companies, and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search ballot system from the Internet.
All participants email addresses were selected through a computer balloting system drawn from 900,000.000 email addresses from all over the world as part ofour International Promotions Program, which is conducted Weekly. It was a promotional program design to benefit and promote the Internet usage.( NO TICKETS WERE SOLD)
As a result, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of (Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars) $550,000 in cash credited to file REF NO: NLD/2300786008/06 and Batch No 10/044/SLN
Also, be informed that your funds have now been deposited and insured with our affiliate security firm for transfer into your nominated bank account either by means of wire transfers through any of our correspondent banks or any other means suitable to you. We also advise that you keep your winning information very confidential as our security policy demands to avoid double claims/impersonation and unwarranted taking advantage of this program by
participants.
To begin your claims, you are urgently requested to contact our claims agent immediately and the quote the following to our Foreign Remittance Department of SNS BANK NV as indicated below:
1. Reference Number
2. Batch Number.
3. Amount Won
4 .Telephone Number(s)
.......................................................................................................................................................
Eddy Peters.
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT.
SNS BANK NV
Tel: (+31)643-676-475.
Reply-Email: infodepptt@aim.com
.......................................................................................................................................................
Remember, all winnings must be claim not later than 14th of November,2006. After this date all unclaimed funds will be return to the promotion company. Congratulation and thank you for being part of our promotional program.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Lyn Marcel.
(Claims Coordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam