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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:
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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:
  • "transfer of your funds" (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!

Fraud email example:

From: Gee Pee Software <gpsftwarepromo@o2.pl>
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 00:13:54 +0100
Subject: Contact our paying bank!

CONGRATULATION-WINNING NOTIFICATION
GEE PEE SOFTWARE INC.
SWEEPSTAKES DIVISION.
4 NEW ELLAND PARK,
WARSAW,POLAND.

Dear Winner,
Congratulations!
With utmost joy, we are pleased to inform you of the result of the Gee Pee Software Inc. New Year
promo draws held on the 16th January 2007 which drew a cash prize of $500,000.00. Your e-mail
address attached to Ticket/Code number 0087411652337 with claim/reference number 085093785/06
drew these lucky numbers
007-49746-041-764-64-2091, which consequently won in the 1st category. You have been approved to
receive a cash prize of $500,000.00 (Five hundred thousand USD).

Be advised that due to incessant mix up in cash prize transfer to previous winners, we advise that you
keep your winning information confidential until your claim has been processed and released to you. This
security measure is crucial; its a measure put in place to avoid double claims, transfer and unwarranted
abuse of this program by other participants.

METHOD OF SELECTING WINNERS:
participants were selected anonymously through a private ballot system (computer
ballot) from over 35,000 companies and 70,000 individual e-mail addresses all
over the world. At the final draw your e-mail address emerged as the winner of
our last jackpot.

This is promotional program takes place bi-annually as a means of promoting our rapidly growing
computer software company and also to reward
some individuals and corporations who have devoted their time and resources
surfing the world wide web (www) with their email addresses.And it is promoted and
sponsored by Winning.com and the telecom giant O2.

Remember, all winnings must be claimed not later than 7 working days from today.
After the expiration of that time frame, if your funds are unclaimed, it will be
refunded to us and included in our next draws.

Lastly, in order to avoid unnecessary delays/complications with the transfer of
your funds to you, please always remember to quote your Code number in all
correspondence with our paying bank (Rabo Bank-Amsterdam,The Netherlands). Furthermore,should
there be any change of your present address, please notify us immediately so we can make the
appropriate adjustment.
Congratulations from the management and staff of Gee Pee Software, Winning.com & O2
-----------------------------------------------------
Kindly, immediately, contact our Paying Bank (Rabo Bank-Amsterdam) for your payment advice.
Send them following e-mail:

I ..................................
with e-mail address:...............
contact address:....................
Ticket and code number:................,..........................
the winner of the Gee Pee Software, Winning.com & O2 lottery promotion
cash prize of $500,000.00. Kindly advise me with details of the process of the
transfer of my cash prize within the next 7-working days.

Contact details of our Paying Bank:

Contact person: Vincent Duke
Department of Private Banking,
Rabo Bank,
E-mail: vinduke@bankersmail.com OR

Telefax: +31-847-421-262
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Congratulations.
Yours in services,
Claudia Vaughn.
(Lottery Coordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam