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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +31616711108 (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.
  • vancewestlukyday@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: Vance West <winners@luckyday.nl>
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 01:42:42 +0100
Subject: Winner

Dear Winner,

Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice the result of luckyday
lottery 2006 promotion. We are happy to inform you that your email address have emerged a winner of
one
million euros (1,000,000.00)Euros.

NOTE: to file for your claim, please contact the claim department below on email.
***********************************************
Mr.Vance West.
Address:Postbus 3074 2280 GB Rijswijk Netherlands.
Tel. : +31-616-711-108
Email :vancewestlukyday@hotmail.com
**********************************************
Find below your promotion date, Reference and Batch numbers. Remember to
quote these numbers in your correspondence with your claims agent Mr.Fede Dario.

PROMOTION DATE: 28th of November 2006.
REFERENCE NUMBER: LDL/223/80982/41
BATCH NUMBER: 0421/AKD

Congratulations once again from all our staff and thank you for being part
of our promotions program.

Sincerely Yours,
MRS.sharon Nelson.
THE PROMOTION COORDINATOR.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam