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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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:

• 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:
  • ",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)
• 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 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.
  • snsbnk@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Lotto.nl" <infolothony@walla.com>
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 04:58:00 +0700
Subject: You are a winner contact your paying bank

Komasstraat 12/4461,
Diemen Amsterdam The Netherlands
(Award affiliate with Subscriber Agents).
From: Mrs.Susan Ruslan (Award Co-ordinator)
W W W . L O T T O . N L

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the online award program held
on the 20th. of July. Your E-mail
address attached to NL number # 524782376, online number # 923516729 NL was
awarded the sum of 1,000,000.00 euros. This online program is organized to
promote internet using and other special internet products like online
banking.

It is important to note that this draws were conducted formally and winners
are selected through an internet ballot system from 50,000 individual and
companies e-mail addresses - the draws are conducted around the world
through our
internet based ballot system.

To avoid double claim you are strictly advised to keep your winning numbers
confidential. Details on how to transfer your award to you will be given
when you contact the paying bank.

For immediate release of your winnings please contact our paying bank and
send them the following information:

******************************************************************

(i) Your name,
(ii) Contact telephone and fax numbers
(iii) Contact Address
(iv) Your winning numbers (NL number and online number)
(v) Quote amount won.
(vi) Notification date.

******************************************************************
Contact:person:Mr.Mark Amos
E-mail:snsbnk@aim.com
Tel:00 31 613 924 518
Fax:00 31 847 250 950

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam