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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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.
  • +31649208991 (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.
  • freelottoagency1@yahoo.de
  • freelottoagency1@yahoo.de

Fraud email example:

From: "freelotto303@go.com" <freelotto303@go.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 17:29:24 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: FROM: MRS. MARY VAN ANDER


FROM: MRS. MARY VAN ANDERFREE LOTTO INTERNATIONAL.
FROM THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PAYMENT DEPARTMENT.RESOURCE CREDIT TRUST.REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS:freelottoagency1@yahoo.de
WINNING AWARD NOTIFICATION !!!
We are pleased to inform you of the results of the draws which took place on the month of September 2005 of your selection as one of the 35 winners of the promotional, FREE LOTTO INTERNATIONAL NETHERLANDS held recently as part of our YEAR BONANZA.You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand US DOLLARS ) in cash credited to file REF NO.ZML/2551256003/11.
We the Free Lotto International Netherlands is by this program, Launching our model computer balloting lottery draws, developed and designed to satisfy the cravings of the ever-growing number of participants in our various lottery programs. With funds accrued exclusively from previous draws, payouts to all winners are guaranteed and will be transferred in record time.
After randomly selecting 15,000 participants from an initial database of 300,000 emails all participants were selected through a computer ballot system from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Canada, Europe, USA and South America as part our International Promotions Program, which was conducted in view of launching ourselves into the Sweepstakes Industry Worldwide and zoning all participants by their respective continents from across the globe, we produced an extensive list from which you have emerged as one of the winners of the Grand Draw prize.
To ensure a smooth collection of your winnings, the transfer of your prize is to be handled by our claim processing officer. You are to contact the claim processing officer assigned to you, by phone or email respectively within two weeks of receiving this notice. Please find full contact details below:
MR. ALFRED VAN KAMPCLAIMS PROCESSING OFFICERFREE LOTTO AGENCYTel: +31 649 208 991Email: freelottoagency1@yahoo.de
Find all relevant winning lottery information below:Ref No: ZML/2551256003/11Batch No:14/0017/IPDserial No: GMLA2-003Ticket No: 12099Lucky No: 425448/7785.
Also send your Name, Address and Country of Residence when replying your claims officer. Remember, you must contact your claim officer not later than two weeks of receiving this notification. After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed.
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to Quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your correspondences with your agent. Furthermore you are seriously advised to keep all winning lottery information and numbers from the public in line with our companysecurity protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by unscrupulous individuals.
Congratulations once again from all members of staffs and thank you for being part of our Promotions program.
Yours Sincerely,
MRS. MARY VAN ANDER.FREE LOTTO CO-ORDINATOR,FREE LOTTERY

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam