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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:
  • "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.
  • +31616931946 (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.
  • laagstenlbanknl55@gawab.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "FROM THE DESK OF THE LOTTERY COORDINATOR " <onlinenlpromo4@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:47:00 -0700
Subject: TICKET No:PP 3502 /8707-01

>FROM THE DESK OF THE LOTTERY COORDINATOR
DE NEDERLANDSE STAATSLOTERIJ
THE NETHERLANDS.
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 Dollars).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 NAME :laagstehypotheekofferte Bank.nl
Laagste Bank, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
CONTACT PERSON : Mr Andrew Woolley

E:mail: LaagstenLbanknL55@gawab.com
Tel: +31-61-693-1946
Fax: +31-84-724-9563

Congratulations once again.
Yours in service,
Mr Andrew Woolley
Lottery Coordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam