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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• 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.
  • +31617620992 (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.
  • david_3johnson@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Unit Lottery" <lottoa23@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 03:33:03 +0000
Subject: WINNIG CLAIM CONGRATULATIONS,

LOTTERY NATIONALE
VANBUNDA 18, 1529 HD,
LEEUWARDEN,
NETHERLANDS.

FILE REFERENCE NO: NL2006-011-LN
BATCH: 14321-006NL

TO WINNERS IN OUR PROGRAM,
We wish to congratulate you over your success in our computer
balloting sweepstake held on 24th January, 2006.

This is a scientific computer game in which email addresses were used.
It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users;
therefore you do not need to buy ticket to enter for it.

However, your email address was attached to ticket number 190-0401782;
with draw the lucky numbers 2-0-51-80, which eventually won the lottery
in the first category of the draws.

This entitled to a cash award of $2, 500,000.00 (TWO MILLION FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND USD). This is from total prize money of
US$30,000,000.00 distributed to winners from 1st to 3rd categories.

Note that this program was promoted and sponsored by a group of
industrialists from the internet ware industry.

To begin your claim, please contact the claims coordinator:
DR. david johnson
Email address:david_3johnson@yahoo.com
TEL:+31 617 620 992.
Fax:+31 847 301 019,
Fax:+31 847 537 819.

Please, you are required to provide the following information:
Names:
Date of Birth:
Occupation:
Sex:
Tel/mobile Number:
Fax number:
Nationality:
Next of Kin:
Ref Number:
Batch Number:
Ticket Number:
Draw Lucky Numbers:

Yours Faithfully,
For: Lottery Nationale,
Marijm Rupert (MRS)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam