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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• 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.
  • +31620464178 (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.
  • fortunegate@mail.wowmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: Free Lotto Company <freelotto05@netscape.net>
Reply-To: fortunegate@deliveryman.com
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:12:20 +0200
Subject: Congratulations!!!


THE FREELOTTO COMPANY
EU HEAD OFFICE
INTERNATIONAL/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
BATCH NO: FLNL/009842/05.
REF. NO. FLNL/1282664/05
AWARD NOTIFICATION.
We are please to announce you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the
Free Lotto draw held on the 10th October, 2005. All 10 winning addresses
were randomly selected from Corporate and individual email addresses
selected from across the globe as part of our International Promotions
Program,which is conducted annually.
Your email address emerged alongside 9 others as a category 3
winner in this year's Annual Free Lotto Draw. Consequently, you have
therefore been approved for a total pay out of US$750,000.00
(Seven Hundred & Fifty Thousand United Stated Dollars) only. In order
to avoid unnecessary delays andcomplications please remember to quote your
reference numberand batch numbers:
1, BATCH:FLNL/009842/05.
2, REFERENCE :FLNL/1282664/05
3, lucky numbers 8-16-18-23-31-45
4, lotto code number: FL09622Holland
Please contact the under-listed claims officer as soon as possible for
the immediate release of your winnings:
DR ROLAND BURNE
FORTUNEGATE AGENCY
Tel: 0031-620-464-178
Fax: 0031-847-501-241
EMAIL:fortunegate@mail.wowmail.com, rolanddeveen@netscape.com
Remember, all winning must be claimed not later than 25th October,
2005. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next
stake.
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications please
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.
Note: Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.
Yours Sincerely,
Iris Hans Kok (Mrs).
Promotions Manager
The Free Lotto Company
Holland & Europe
Lottery Coordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam