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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:
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +31633781421 (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.
  • financialagent@excite.com
  • financialagent@excite.com
  • virginallottery@telkom.net

Fraud email example:

From: "just cool" <virginallottery200@msn.com>
Reply-To: financialagent@excite.com
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:38:23 +0000
Subject: VIRINAL LOTTERY PROMOTION WINNING NOTIFICATION

VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION LOTTERY
55A VAN BRANTENSTRAAT WEST,
1015KL AMSTERDAM CENTRIUM,
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS.


FROM THE DESK
OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR.
INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,



Lottery Date, 24/10/2005

WINNING NOTICE FOR CATEGORY "C" WINNER VIRGINAL NATIONAL LOTTO NETHERLAND,
REFERENCE NUMBER-XD/NBD SERIAL NO. 223-X7733425: BATCH NUMBER-T/XX123 All
winners should not respond back to the mail all you need to do contact your
lottery winning claims director for your winning claims on his email below.
financialagent@excite.com


It is our pleasure to inform you that you have emerged as a Category "C"
winner of the Virginal National Lottery Promotion Netherlands.
CONGRATULATIONS! You are entitled to a prize sum of Five Hundred Thousand
Euros (500,000Euros) Reference number for your winning prize is
XD/NBD/223-X7733425, batch number T/XX123.

As a category "C" winner, you have been selected from a total number of
30,000 names drawn from Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East and America. After
the computer ballot of our International Promotions Program, only five
winners emerged in this category and therefore are to receive payouts of
Five Hundred Thousand Euros (500,000 Euros) from the total 250,000 Euros for
Third category winners.

To immediately collect your prize; please contact our Category "C" financial
claims agent with information below:

Mr. Joseph Smith
Financial Claims Director,
Scheltemastate 42 8926 LT Leeuwarden
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tel- + 31-633-781421
Fax- +31-84-757-0390
Email: financialagent@excite.com

You provide your winning prize reference number XD/NBD/223-X7733425 and
winning batch number-T/XX123 for confirmation. In your best interests, you
must initiate contact within one week of receipt of this correspondence. He
will handle all financial matters which regards claiming of your winning
prize. You are also advised to send a copy of this email, either by fax or
email, to your financial handler Mr,Joseph Smith, when contacting him also
state your full names and address telephone numbers this is very important.

You are to keep all lottery information from the public as we will not
entertain cases of multiple claims processing or compromise the privacy and
security for all winners.

Other necessary Virginal National Lottery Promotion Netherlands information
are:

Lucky number: 10-15-20-25-30
Ticket numbers: 6-9-11
Draw 3 numbers: 4-6-9-10-17
International Lottery code no: LD 280972

You may be required to provide any of the above information during the
process of collecting your prize.

We congratulate you once again and it is our hope that you participate in
any of our international programs in the nearest future; all winning has to
be claimed before the claim expiration date 29th of November 2005. For more
information about your winning funds contact the Virginal lottery
organization, email: virginallottery@telkom.net

Congratulation once in Advance,

Sincerely,

Tina Kim (Mrs.)
Promotions Manager
Virginal National Lottery Program

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam