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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)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +31644749539 (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.
  • fundremittance@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • sloterijnl@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: arien@arienvoncretia.orangehome.co.uk
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:18:40 +0100 (CET)
Subject: END OF YEAR AWARD BONAZZA (CONTACT FOR CLAIM)


END OF YEAR AWARD BONAZZA (CONTACT FOR CLAIM)
FROM THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR
PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Congratulations: claim $1,000,000.00 prize money.
This is to announce the result of the last sweepstake of STAATSLOTERIJ NL Lottery held on the 6th, Noveber 2006. Your e-mail address attached to prize winning number: 0116 1307 0199 6088 16 15 and a special supplementary number: 92 70 drew a prize money of $1,000, 000.00 (One Million USDollars). This lucky numbers attached to your e-mail address came first in the 2nd Category of the Sweepstake draws. You will receive the sum of $1,000,000.00 (One Million USDollars) from our authorized bank in Netherlands .
Because of some mix-up with our sweepstake numbers and prizes, plus the time limited placed on the payment of your prize: $1,000, 000.00, we advice that you keep all information about this prize confidential until your funds: $1,000,000.00 have been transferred to you by the authorized bank in The Netherlands. You must adhere to this instruction, strictly, to avoid any delay with the release of your funds to your person.
This program has been abused severally in past, so we are doing our best to forestall further occurrence of past mix-ups.
This sweepstake was conducted under the watchful eyes of 8,500 spectators. Your e-mail address attached to prize winning number: 0116 1307 0199 6088 16 15 was selected and; it came first through a "SPECIAL" e-ballot draw from over 150,000 e-mail addresses (Personal and corporate e-mail addresses). This program is sponsored by Microsoft and GCI networks to compensate faithful internet suffers around the globe.
Congratulations for becoming one of the few lucky winners in SL.NL Lotteries special edition. With your permission, your e-mail will also be included in the next sweepstake of $4Million.
You must claim your prize: $1,000,000.00 not later than 7-days from the moment you receive this e-mail. In order to avoid unnecessary delays with your claim from our authorized bank; please contact them immediately, and quote your winning and personal information now.
contact details are as follow(s):
Charge: Mr. Theo van Baasten
Tel: 0031-644-749-539
Fax: +31(847)300-848
E-mail: fundremittance@netscape.net
E-mail: sloterijnl@aim.com
E-mail address: Furnish them with the following:
(i). your name(s),
(ii) Your telephone and fax numbers
(iii) Your contact address
(iv) Your winning information (including amount won).
Congratulations.
Yours sincerely,
Arien Von Cretia.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam