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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: "lissette_kersbeeck@go.com" <lissette_kersbeeck@go.com>
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 12:28:30 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: PLZ ACKNOWLEDGE


FROM THE DESK OF THE LOTTERY COORDINATOR,FREE LOTTO B.V INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL LOTTERY PROGRAMAMSTERDAM,NETHERLANDS.
INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL LOTTO PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD.BATCH NO: 15027-BV-43REF. No: 232/633/4519
We are pleased to announce you as one of the lucky winners in the Free Lotto draw held today the 31st of October 2005.
All winning Email addresses were randomly selected from abatch of 50,000,000 international emails.Your email addressemerged as a category 2 winner in this year's Annual FreeLotto Draw.
Consequently, you have therefore been approved for a totalpay out of Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Euros (850,000 Euros)
In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complicationsplease remember to quote your reference number and batchnumbers in all correspondence with your claims officer.
1.BATCH:15027-BV-432.The file Ref number: 232/633/45193.lucky numbers 8-16-18-23-31-45
Please contact the underlisted claims officer as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:
MR Van WilbertCLAIMS OFFICERFREE LOTTO B.Vfreelottbv850@netscape.netTel/Fax:31-205-241-255
for processing and remittance of your cash to a designatedaccount of your choice.
You are required to contact Mr Van Wilbert about the claimant procedures, send your fax and telephone to Mr Van Wilbert, this will enable his office to send the claims application form to you the Beneficiary.
Please 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 informthe Claims Officer Mr Van Wilbert as soon as possible as heis responsible for the processing of your approved file forpayment.
Congratulations Once again on behalf of all our staff.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Sincerely,
Mrs Lissette Kersbeeck(Lottery Coordinator)
Please make sure you keep your winning confidential till youhave received your payment.This is to avoid double claims

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam