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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)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • +31619281884 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "VODAFONE.NL LOTTERY PROMO" <vodafonenlgt@winning.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:42:12 +0200
Subject: VODAFONE.NL LOTTERY WINNER !!!!!

Vodafone.NL
Lottery and Gaming Centre
Stationplein 77
Rosendaal- The Netherlands
Tel: 0031-619-281-884
Fax:0031-847-552-015
www.vodafone.nl

FREE EMAIL COMPUTER BALLOT.(END OF YEAR BONANZA BY VODAFONE.NL

Dear Winner,

(COUPON WINNING NUMBER: GWIN-01257)
You have won the sum of EUR.1.000.000 {One Million Euros} from
VODAFONE.NL database of internet email users held today, from which
your email address was randomly balloted which came out attached to the
winning coupon number:GWIN-01257
This winning prize is of a totally cash money of five millions euros
which under five lucky winners with their e-mail in appendix to this
same coupon winning number is shared one million to each five winners.
This lottery is a promotional program by VODAFONE.NL to advertise to
the world its existence. All participants were selected through a
computer ballot system drawn from over 50,000 companies and 2,000,000
individual email addresses from all over the world, as part of our
international promotions program, which we intend to conduct several
times a year.
Being one of the lucky winners,we hereby contact you to claim your win
quickly as this is a free email computer ballot bonanza lottery
promotion.
Failure to claim your winning will result to rollover or reversion of
your winning sum. We also use this medium to notify you that the
expiring or lapse date to claim your winning prize is on the 27TH
DECEMBER 2007.
For transfer of your winning prize to you, contact the public relations
manager
with your coupon winning number:GWIN-01257.
BANK TRANSFER TAKES 2/3DAYS WHILE THE BANK CHEQUE TAKES 7 DAYS BY COURIER!
CONTACT:

VODAFONE.NL.
(P.R.O).
Mr. Peter Van Bosh.
Tel: 0031-619-281-884
Fax: 0031-847-552-015
Contact Email: vodafonepromo@aol.nl

Please reply only with the above contact reply email and call for
verification.
Provide below informations:
Name:
Nationality:
Country of Residence:
Occupation:
Tel number:
Email:
COUPON WINNING NUMBER: GWIN-01257
Any leakage of this winning notification leading in a double claim will
cause you to forfeit your prize thus we advise you to keep this winning
notification message confidential away from public notice to prevent
double claims and impersonation until after remittance/payment to you.

Regards,

Maryam Gogh (Mrs.)
(Coordinator)


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

This message, including all attachments transmitted with it, is for the
use of the addressee only. It may contain proprietary, confidential
and/or legally privileged information.
No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any
mistransmission.If you are not the intended recipient, you must not,
directly or indirectly,use, disclose, distribute, print or copy any
part of this message.
If you believe you have received this message in error, please delete
it and all copies of it from your system and notify the sender
immediately by reply e-mail.
Any unauthorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the content in
this e-mail is strictly forbidden.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam