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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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:
  • "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.
  • +31649208996 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Robort Van" <robortvan003@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 01:27:35 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATION,YOU ARE A WINNER.....

FROM: GOVERNMENT ACCREDITED LICENSED LOTTERY

Dear Lucky Winner,
 
RE: LOTTERY PROMOTION PRIZE AWARDS WINNING
NOTIFICATION
 
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just
concluded annual final
draws of Lotto Netherlands International Lottery
programs.
 
The online cyber lotto draws was conducted from an
exclusive list of 25,000 e-
mail addresses of individual and corporate bodies
picked by an advanced
automated random computer search from the internet. No
tickets were sold.
After this automated computer ballot, your e-mail
address emerged as one of two
winners in the category "A" with the following:
 
Ref Number: 35149/337-5247/LNI
Batch Number:26371545-LNI/2004
Ticket Number:54866235
 
You as well as the other winner are therefore to
receive a cash prize of
1,500.00.(ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND EUROS
ONLY) each from the total payout.
 
Your prize awards has been insured with your e-mail
address and will be
transfered to you upon meeting our requirements,
statutory obligations,
verifications, validations and satisfactory report.
 
To begin the claims processing of your prize winnings
you are advised to
contact our licensed and accredited claims agent for
category "A" winners with
the informatiom below:
Mr.robort van
Financial Director,
Netherlands Development Finance Company,
E-mail:robortvan002mail2world.com
Phone number +31-649-208-996

Anybody under the age of 18 and members of the
affiliate agencies are
automatically not allowed to participate in this
program.

Thank you and congratulations!!!
Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Mildred Hugo
Games/Lottery Coordinator.
De Lotto Netherlands International
www.lotto.nl

 

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam