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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.
• 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.
  • +34634177836 (Spain, 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.
  • venturalinfo08@aol.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:19:52 +0000
Subject: Claim Information!!!




Claim Information!!!

Dear Sir/Ma,
With Refference to the Released Result of the 2008 Online Email Sweepstakes Lottery Program today, your Email Address has won in the Program organised on the 23rd of October 2008 in Mdrid Spain . We write to Officially notify you that your Email Address Attached to the Batch Number 2116-98211-ESP and rolled Eclectronically along with Millions of other Email Addresses has won a prize Sum of (1.000.000.00 Euros).We advise you to Contact the Processing Office with the details below Immediately upon the receipt of this message for more information concerning the verification ,processing and eventual payment of the payment of the Award Prize.
Euromillions/Ventural Ventures international.
Name:Mr.Paolo Pedro
TEL: 0034-634-177-836
E-mail: venturalinfo08@aol.com<mailto:venturalinfo08@aol.com>
WINNING INFORMATIONS!!!
(i)REFERENCE NUMBER 33450-0091-ESP
(ii)Batch Number 2116-98211-ESP
(iii)Winning Number 12245-0945-ESP
(1v)Lottery Date 23rd of October 2008
All winnings must be claimed not later than 14 days.kindly forward your Full name,address,Tel,Fax,Occupation,Age,Sex to your agent.Kindly indicate the mode of transfer you want.
1.Cheque
2.Bank Transfer
Regards
Ms Marisa Mastroianni

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam