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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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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:

• 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.
  • +31619705298 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: mary hans <mary_hanss013@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: <maryhans_box@yahoo.co.nz>
Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 16:25:41 +0000
Subject: PRIZE AWARDS WINNING NOTIFICATION



GOVERNMENT ACCREDITED LICENSED LOTTERY PROMOTERSNOTICE FOR CATEGORY "A" WINNERDear Winner,
RE: LOTTO INTERNATIONAL NL PROMOTION PRIZE AWARDS WINNING NOTIFICATION
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just concluded annual final draws of Lotto international Netherlands programs. The online cyberlotto draws was conducted from an exclusive list of 25,000 e-mail addresses of individual and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the internet. No tickets were sold.After this automated computer ballot, your e-mail address emerged asone of two winners in the category "A" with the following:Ref Number: PC 607 ES 208Batch Number: 26371545-LNI/2006Ticket Number: PCP 002 871You as well as the other winner are therefore to receive a cash prize of EUR 1,500,000.00.each from the total payout. Your prize award has been insured with your e-mail address and will be transferred to you upon meeting our requirements, statutory,verifications,andsatisfactory report.To begin the claims processing of your prize winnings you are advised to contact our licensed claims agent for category "A"winners with the information below:
Mrs. Mary HansE-mail:maryhans_box@yahoo.co.nzphone:+31 619 705 298Department Director,Netherlands Lottery
Yours faithfully,Mrs.Agatha DeBoer,Netherlands Lottery


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam