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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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 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.
  • berthonnhsltd@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "management pr" <levadotkom@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 22:10:24 +0000
Subject: Notification!

Wilhelmus Van Dijk Stichting
voor menselijk gebruik van de informatietechnologie
Rue P. J. Delcloche 19
4021 Liege, Belgium.

REF. NUMBER: LDKL/835900/10/05
BATCH NUMBER: 43-4-0-06-WDS

Dear Sir/Madam,

RE: NOTIFICATION

The WILHELMUS VAN DIJK STICHTING, Liege, a foundation for the encouragement
of human utilisation of information technology is conducting the LevaDotKom
Lottery to encourage the use of the internet and computer education
worldwide.

We are pleased to inform you that you have been chosen as a mega-winner in
the LevaDotKom Lottery held on December 15th, 2005. Your email address
attached to ticket number 43-4-0-06 with serial number 00647947 drew the
lucky numbers 11-77-11-77-77-11. You have therefore been approved for a pay
out of US$1,200,000.00 (one million, two hundred thousand dollars only) in
cash.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Please be informed that all participants in this lottery program have been
selected randomly through a computer ballot system with millions of entrants
sourced using search engines and web sites.

To file for your claims please contact the designated claims agent below:

LARRY WATKINS,
PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPT.
BERTHON NHS LTD
ENGLAND
Email: berthonnhsltd@yahoo.com

All winnings must be claimed not later than January 12th, 2006, after this
date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake. Please note in
order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications endeavour to quote your
reference and batch numbers in all first correspondence.

Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as
soon as possible.

Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to
disqualification.

Sincerely,

Erika Simonsen(Ms)
INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
NB: Please do not reply to this mail; contact your claims' agent. Also you
are automatically disqualified if you are below 18years of age.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam