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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:

• 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 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.
  • +31624746942 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: swiss lotto <brendstass202@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:12:34 -0400
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WON I MILLION USD



CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WON I MILLION USDWINNING NOTIFICATIONSWISS-LOTTO ONLINE GAMINGGENEVA,SWITZERLAND.https://www.swisslotto.chDear Winner, Congratulations!
With utmost joy, we are pleased to inform you of the result of the SWISS-LOTTO promotional draws held on the 27th August 2007 which drew a cash prize of $1,000,000.00.Your e-mail address attached to Ticket/Code number 52516723847192 with claim/reference number 724285237/07 drew these lucky numbers 225-53-311-89-6295, which consequently won in the 1st category. You have been approved to receive a cash prize of $1,000,000.00 (One million USD).Dueto incessant mix up in cash prize transfer to previous winners, we advise that you keep your winning information strictly confidential until your claim has been processed and released to you. This security measure is crucial;its a measure put in place to avoid double claims, transfer and unwarranted abuse of this programby other participants.If due to your own carelessness some other person gets access to the winning infomation above and files for claim before you then you may have lost the winning.
METHOD OF SELECTING WINNERS:
participants were selected anonymously through a private ballot system (computer ballot) from over 35,000 companies and 70,000 individual e-mail addresses all over the world. At the final draw your e-mail address emerged as the winner of our last jackpot.This promotional program takes place bi-annually as a meansof promoting and raising public awareness to our rapidly growing online gaming company.And it is also co-sponsored by Winning.com and the telecom giant O2.Hence this sweepstake also serve as promotion for the services offerred by the sponsors aforementioned.
Remember, all winnings must be claimed not later than 7 working days from the date you contact the payment agent to notify them of your claim.---------------------------------------------------------------------Due to a complicated tax , legal and payout systems here in Switzerland,the approved paying agent for this sweepstake is in Amsterdam,The Netherlands.So do kindly, immediately, contact our approved Paying Agent in Netherlands for your payment advice.Send them the following e-mail:
I ..................................with e-mail address:...............contact address:....................Ticket and code number:................,..........................the winner of the Swiss-Lotto , Winning.com & O2 lottery promotioncash prize of $1,000,000.00. Kindly advise me with details of the process of the transfer of my cash prize within the next 7-working days.
Contact details of our Paying Agent:BMB Finance Service,E-mail: bmbfnl@cbgb.netTele:+31-62-474-6942Fax: +31-847-36-8943Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
On reciept of this notification do endeavour to contact the approved and authorised paying agent indicated above as your lump sum cash winning,verification and payment instructions have already been forwarded to them.
Congratulations.
Yours in services,Brenda Stass.(Lottery Coordinator)



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam