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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:

• 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.
  • +31620787606 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Internet Microsoft Outlook Lottery" <internetlottery33@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:47:11 +0800
Subject: Lucky Winner...

From: Mrs. Grace Ferry
(Lottery Coordinator)

From: Mrs. Helen Van Patt
(Lottery Coordinator)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We are pleased to inform you the result of the Microsoft Outlook Award
Lotteries,
held on the 15th July 2006.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket #: 4434/2113-78 with prize # 83429/2
drew €1,000,000.00 which was first in the 2nd class of the draws.

You are to receive €1,000,000.00 (One Million Euros).

Because of mix up in cash payouts, we ask that you keep your winning
information
confidential until your money (€1,000,000.00) has been fully remitted to
you by our
accredited pay-point bank.

This measure must be adhere to avoid loss of your cash prize - winners of
our cash
prizes are advised to adhere to these instructions to forestall the abuse
of this
program by other participants.

It's important to note that these draws were conducted formally, and
winners are
selected through an Internet ballot system from 60,000 individual and
companies
e-mail addresses the draws are conducted around the world through our
Internet
based ballot system.
The promotion is sponsored and promoted by
WORLD MICROSOFT OUTLOOK PROGRAMM.
We congratulate you once again. We hope you will use part of it in our next
draws;
the Jackpot winning is 2, million Euros.

Remember, all winning must be claimed not later than 20 days.

After this date all unclaimed cash prize will be forfeited and included in
the next sweepstake.
Please, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications remember to
quote
personal and winning numbers in all correspondence with us.

Congratulations once again from all members of Internet Microsoft
Lotteries.

Thank you for being part of our promotional program.

For immediate release of your cash prize to you,
please kindly contact our Paying Bank (Laagste Heypotheekofferte Bank
Amsterdam,)

Send them the following Information Through the Email Address below:
(i). Your names
(ii) Contact telephone and fax numbers
(iii) Contact Address
(iv) your winning numbers
(v) Quote amount won.

Laagste Heypotheekofferte Bank. N.L.
Mrs. Jennifer Clark,
Email : laagstesbank@sifymail.com
Email: laagstesbank2@ aim.com
Tel: 31-620-787-606
Fax: 31-847-161-022

Congratulations once again.
Yours in service,
Mrs. (Grace Ferry)
(Lottery Coordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam