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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million united states 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)
• 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.
  • +31633789420 (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.
  • infostaatsnl@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "anita vlutglaan" <staatsloterijnl04@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 09:21:28 +0000
Subject: WINNIN NOTIFICATION

STAATSLOTERIJ.NL
No 21 EGGER-STRAAT
28089 AMSTERDAM/NETHERLANDSFROM:
THE PROMOTION DIRECTOR
RESULTS FOR THE SECOND CATEGORY DREW
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS DEPT.
REF: PEKO/32743/K1
BATCH: STAX/33456/JK
 
ATTN;WINNER,
 
We are pleased to inform you of the release, of the
long awaited results of the STAATSLOTERIJ PROMOTION
PROGRAMES NL held on 15th of January,2006. Reference
Number: PEKO/32743/K1, and Batch number BATCH:
STAX/33456/JK
 
Your email address attached to the ticket
number:TK/454532BV that drew the lucky winning number,
which consequently won the loterij in the second
category in four parts. You have been approved for a
payment of US$1,000,000.00 (ONE MILLION UNITED STATES
DOLLARS) in cash credited to file reference
number:HPL/980077/WP1. This is from a total cash prize
of TEN MILLION DOLLARS Shared among the ten
international winners that won the second categories.
 
Congratulations!!!
 
All participants were selected through our Microsoft
computer ballot system drawn form 42,000 Names, 6,000
names from each continent, as part of International
"E-MAIL" Promotions Program, for our prominent MS WORD
user all over the world, and for the Continues use of
E-mail.Due to mixed up of some names and addresses, we
ask that you keep this award personal, till your
claims has been processed and your funds remitted to
you.

This is part of our security measures to avoid double
claiming or unwarranted taking advantage of the
situation by other participants or impersonators.To
begin your claim, do file for the release of your
winning by contacting our accredited agent:
 
Mr.Smith Roland.
Foreign Operations Manager.(STAATSLOTERIJ NL)
Tel:+31-633-789-420
Email:infostaatsnl@netscape.net

NOTE: All winnings must be notarized to complete the
claim process because you were randomly selected for
this draw through your email address, so the
notarization process is vital because with this we can
legally ascertain that the lucky email address as well
as the winning details do in fact belong to you.
 
Please note in order to avoid unnecessary delays and
complications please remember to quote your reference
number and batch numbers in all correspondence.They
are your agent, and
responsible for the processing and transfer of your
winnings fund to you.
 
YOUR SECURITY FILE NUMBER IS S/00454/C4 (keep
personal) Remember, your winning must be claimed not
later than (30-1-2006) After this date, funds might be
returned to the unclaimed. Furthermore, should there
be any change in your address, do inform your claims
agent as soon as possible.
 
Yours truly,
 
Mr. Anita Vlutglaan.
PROMOTION DIRECTOR
STAATSLOTERIJ,NETHERLANDS.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam