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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
• 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.
  • +31619703513 (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.
  • claimdeptlg007@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "LG Electronics, Inc." <prizeremmittance_department@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:52:04 -1000
Subject: CASH GRANT 2007

LG Electronics, Inc.
European award department


Dear Beneficiary,

NOTIFICATION FOR CASH AID.

This is to notify you that you have been chosen By the Board of trustees of
Yahoo! Inc as one of the final recipients of a Cash Grant/Donation for your
own personal,education and business development.

LG Electronics, Inc. in conjunction with the United Nations Organization
(UNO) and the European union, is giving out a yearly donation of One Hundred
Million United States Dollars as specific Donations/Grants to 50 lucky
international recipients worldwide in different categories for their
educational pursuit,health care,personal Business development and uplift of
their enviroment. These funds are freely given to you to use for your
business educational and personal development, and at least 30% to be used
by you to develop a part of your enviroment, as this is a yearly program,
which is a measure of universal development strategy, and eradication of
poverty.

Please kindly note that you are not the only beneficiary in your country
this year, and your country is not the only country that is benefiting from
this donation, as beneficiaries have been chosen from countries from all
continents.

The idea of this donation is that within ten years from now, there will be
notable richness among many unusual people around the world.

This will give many people the opportunity to get their lives to a stage
where they had always wanted. Kindly note that you will only be chosen to
receive the donation once.which means that, subsequent yearly donation will
not get to you again, so its your choice to spend the donation wisely on
something that will last you a long time. And please do not bother following
up this email, if you have benefited from this donation in previous years.

Based on the random selection exercise of internet service
providers(ISP)and millions of Super market cash invoices worldwide, you were
selected among the lucky recipients to receive the award sum of
US$2,000,000.00(Two Million United States Dollars) as charity donations/aid
from the LG Electronics, Inc. and the UNO in accordance with the enabling
act of Parliament.Note that, your email was selected from either the
internet, or a Shop's cash invoice around your area in which you might have
purchased something from.

You are required to expeditiously Contact the Executive Secretary below for
qualification documentation and processing of your claims, from Monday
through Sunday.

On contact with this officer, you'll be given your donation pin number
which you will use in collecting the funds.

Please endeavor to quote your Qualification numbers (N-222-6747, E-900-56)
in all discussions.

Executive Secretary,
Mr Mark Richards
Tel:+31-619 703 513
Fax:+31-84-733-3998
Email:claimdeptlg007@yahoo.com.hk

Please note that this donations/Grants are strictly administered by
"European Union" under delegated powers from the UNO. you are by all means
hereby advised to keep this whole information confidential until you have
been able to collect your donation, as there have been many cases of double
and unqualified claim, due to beneficiaries informing third parties about
his/her donation.

Finally, all funds should be claimed by their respective beneficiaries, not
later that 15 days after notification, as failure to do so will be to that
particular beneficiary cancelled and its donation reserved for next years
receipients.

On behalf of the Board kindly accept our warmest congratulations

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs.Jacquline Van Grout
(PROCESSING AND CLAIM DEPARTMENT)


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam