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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:

• 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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims office" (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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +31620896689 (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.
  • agent_scottmartinezq@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: wesley schnider <wesley_schnx7@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 03:33:20 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATION!!!



FROM NOTIFICATION DEPARTMENT OF POWER BALL LOTTERY NL.INTERNATIONAL PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT.REF Nº:PB-NL/175648323/07BATCH Nº:8796-0178/NL 01 WINNING NOTIFICATION FOR CATEGORY "A" WINNER ONLY We the Board and Management of POWER BALL LOTTERY NL wishes to inform you the results of the last annual draw of our lottery in which you emerged asthe winner in the grand category "A". It is yet to be claimed and you are getting the final NOTIFICATION as regards this. This results is today released to you and Your e-mail address attached to Ticket Number: 65676776886787,BATCH Nº:8796-0178/NL-01 and lottery Ref Number PB-NL/175648323/07. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$1,500,000.00(ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) in cash creditedto your file number file NLA/175463/06/07. This is from a total cash prize shared amongst the 6 lucky winners in the various categories. Please note that no entries were made and no tickets were purchsed. The online cyber lotto draw was conducted from an exclusive list of 82,000,000 e-mail addresses of individual and corporate bodies picked by an advancedautomated random computer search from the internet. After this automated computer ballot, your e-mail address emerged as the winner in the grandcategory, Category "A". You are therefore to receive a cash prize of $1,500,000.00 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) from the total payout. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your prize award has been insured with your e-mail address and will be transferred to you upon meeting our requirements, statutory obligations,verifications, validations and satisfactory report. To file in for the processing of your prize winnings, you are advised to contact our Certifiedand Accredited claims agent for category "A" winners with the information below: Name: Scott martinezEmail: agent_scottmartinezq@myway.com Tel: +31-6208 96689 Fax: +31 84 718 6055 You are advice to provide him with the following information: Names: Telephone/Fax number: Nationality: Age: NOTE: All winnings must be claimed not later than 14 days, thereafter unclaimed funds would be included in the next stake. Remember to quote yourreference information in all correspondence. You are to keep all lotto information confidential, especially your reference and ticket numbers. (This is important as a case of double claims will not be entertained). Members of the affiliate agencies are automatically not allowed toparticipate in this program. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. Endeavor to Quote your reference/batch numbers in your correspondence with your claims officer and you are advised not to expose your numbers toavoid double clamming and unwarranted abuse of this program otherwise your winnings will be void Please be warned. Should you have any question or needany help, please contact your claims officer. Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as soon as possible. Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for being part of our promotional program. Yours FaithfullyWesley SchniderLottery Coordinator.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam