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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:
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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)
  • "million united state 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)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +31621632518 (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.
  • rodthompson50@aol.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Sandra smith" <sandrasmith02@handbang.com>
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 00:25:49 +0600
Subject: Winning Notification.


WINNING NOTIFICATION
FROM: THE LOTTERY COORDINATOR,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT

Dear Winner,

RESULTS FOR CATEGORY "A" DRAWS

Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice, the results of the First
Category draws of STAATS LOTERIJ AMSTERDAM. We are happy to inform you that
you have emerged a winner under the First Category, which is part of our
promotional draws.

Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from
2,500,000 names/email addresses of individuals and companies from
Africa,America, Asia,Australia,Europe,Middle East, and Oceania as part of
our International Promotions Program.

You/Your company E-mail id, attached to Ref number MLI/231-ILG10431/03
,Batch Number EAPA/15/096/PTNL, Tiicket Number 20511465897, with Serial
Number 472-971103 ,Drew the lucky numbers 8-66-97-22-71-64 and consequently
won in the First Category A .You have therefore been awarded a lump sum pay
out of US$1,000.000.00( One Million United State Dollars) each, which is the
winning payout for Category" A" winners. This is from the total prize money
of USD$10,000,000 shared among the 4 Winners in this category.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your fund is now deposited with our Paying bank ,and insured in your name.
In your best interest and also to avoid mix up of numbers and names of any
kind, we request that you keep the entire details of your award strictly
from public notice until the process of Beneficiary Certificate Ownership
Winning Notification,Stamp duties and re-activation of Account of your
prize/money remitted in readiness of the subsequently onward transfer into
your nominated Bank Account. This is in conformity with the latest transfer
regulation signed by the Organization /Netherlands Government since this is
part of our Security protocol measures to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants

We also wish to bring to your notice our end of year premium stakes draw
where you stand chance of winning up to USD$25 Million; we hope that with a
part of your prize you will participate in it.

To file for your claim, please contact our /your fiducial agent MR. ROD
THOMPSON of the EURO ACCREDITED PAYMENT AGENT immediately for due processing
and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice:
TEL: + 31 621632518
FAX: + 31 847 502 031
Email: rodthompson50@aol.com

You are advised to contact our agents by telephone or by email immediately
you receive this notice. Failure to do so may warrant disqualification.

Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.

Finally, we ensure that you note every letters as clearly stated as we
would not be held responsible should there be hitch in this transaction due
laxity on your part.So you are to expedite action ,Failure to do this we
shall be compelled to lose your fund in other words,we shall divert your
fund to somewhere else.

In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications;Kindly remember to
quote your reference number and batch numbers in all correspondence.

Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as
soon as possible.

Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for being
part of our promotional program.

Yours Truly,
Mrs. Sandra Smith
Lottery Coordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam