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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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• 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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claim 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 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.
  • europeasoftwares@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: agnes@ardenneagnes.orangehome.co.uk
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:18:05 +0100 (CET)
Subject: Dear Lucky Winner


Dear Lucky Winner
Regarding the above subject matter, be informed of the outcome of the participants, who won the sweepstake program conducted In the first quarter of this year.Your email, attached to ticket number 025-1146-1387, with serial number 213-05 drew the lucky numbers 13-15-22-37-39 and consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore been approved of a lump sum pay of US$:600,000.00(six Hundred thousand united states dollars) cash credited to file No: PS/255/06. This is from the total prize money of US$:20.400.00, shared among the seventeen international winners in this category. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 names from across the globe as part of our Annual international promotions program. Your fund is now deposited with a finance and security house insured in your name.Please contact our fiduciary agent at,
CONTACT PERSON:MR.DONALD VAN DICK
NETHERLANDS OFFICE ADDRESS:HEMELRIJKEN 100,5612 LB EINDHOVEN - NETHERLANDS.
TEL:0031-644-745-644
FAX:0031-847-151-754
Email:europeasoftwares@aim.com
To begin your claim, for due processing and remittance of your prize money to a nominated account of your choice.We advice that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your prize money remitted to your account. This is part of our security measure to avoid any mix-up. Note: in order to avoid any delay and complication, always quote your file No: PS/255/06, in all your correspondences with your claim agent.Congratulations once again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program.
NOTE: Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.
Yours Sincerely,
MRS.AGNES VAN ARDENNE
European Software Producer's Lottery Coordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam