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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:

• 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +31616293431 (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.
  • custservices@lycos.nl (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Lottery Coordinator" <Lottery@pobox.nl>
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:16:28 +0300
Subject: FROM:Mr. Glady Haris

(PRIZE AWARD DEPT. REF No: 9590 ES 9414)
FROM THE DESK OF THE LOTTERY COORDINATOR
DE NEDERLANDSE STAATSLOTERIJ
THE NETHERLANDS.
www.staatsloterij.nl
BATCH No: 573881545-NL/2007
TICKET No:PP 3502 /8707-01
SERIAL No: 05908 LUCKY No: 9-43-97
[FORCATEGORY "A" WINNER ONLY]

ATTN: LOTTERY WINNER.

We wish to congratulate you of the result of the STAATO NL Lottery
(international program) balloting
sweepstake held 2007. This is a millennium scientific computergame in which
email addresses were
used. It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users,there
fore you do not need to
buy ticket to enter for it.

You have been approved for the star prize of €1,500,000.00 (One
Million,Five Hundred Thousand Euros).
To claim your winning prize you are to contact theappointed agent as soon
as possible for the immediate
releaseof your winnings: You must contact the PAYING BANK with your Full
Names, Contact Telephone
Numbers (Home, Office and Mobile Number and also Fax Number)and also with
your winning informations
via email.
to process the immediate payment of your prize.The Validity period of the
winnings is for 30 working days
hence you are expected to make your claims immediately, any claim not made
before this date will be
returned to the STAATS LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL EMAIL PROMOTION.
board.Contact the paying bank with the following:
Bank’s Name:PostBank NL
Website: www.postbank.nl
E-mail: custservices@lycos.nl
Contact person: John Van Kempering
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Tel:+31 616 293 431
Fax:+31 84 759 9547
Congratulations once again.
Yours in service,
Mr. Glady Haris.
Lottery Coordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam