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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• 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.
  • +31644893645 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: agentwilliamder@aim.com
Date: Fri, 02 Jun 2006 09:28:42 -0400
Subject: TRANSFER PROCESS FOR YOUR WINNING PRIZE


Dear Edward J McNamee,

We have recieved your information from the verification department and also recorded the required information from the claims form in our central computing system.

Having done all the proper verification exercise from all our department, we found you worthy of the cash prize in our lottery program organized by Power Ball Lottery corporation.

Meanwhile as for now everything seem to be working in your favour, all that we require from you now, is your maximum cooperation for smooth transfer of your money through our paying bank to you.

CLAIMING OF PRIZES
Now, you will be required to make a choice of the type of account that will be comfortable with you, based on the number of times you wish to receive your winning in your account, below are the account options available in our paying bank.

1. Regular Account, the initial deposit is 1,500.00 (One thousand, five hundred Euros). The Maximum transfer possible within a month is $500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand USD).

2. Daily Account, the initial deposit is 2,500.00 (Two thousand, five hundred Euros). The Maximum transfer possible within a month is $1,000,000.00 (One Million USD).

3. Premium Account, the initial deposit is 3,500 (Three thousand, five hundred Euros). The transfer possible within a month from this account is $1,500,000.00 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand USD).

4. Platinum Account, the initial deposit is 4,500.00 (Four thousand, five hundred Euros), the maximum transfer possible from this account within a month is $5,000,000.00 (Five Million USD).

You will be required to activate the account of your choice with our paying bank with the initial deposit for account activation to be paid by you.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
1. Your winning is presently in a suspense account and we cannot make any deduction of any kind until it is deposited in your name in an active account which will make it suitable for transfer.

2. Your Initial deposit paid by you will be added to your winning and an Account Number and a Pin Code will be giving to you to confirm and transfer your funds.

Please confirm to us the type of account you wish to activate so that we can notarize your winning with the Netherlands Gaming Board (NGB) and send you the contact of the bank.

Upon your comfirmation of the type of account, our lawyer will notify the Netherlands Gaming Board (NGB), so as to give approval to our paying bank, the permission to make the transfer. Please email as soon as you make a choice of account you wish to activate.

Note that your quick anticipation, will determine how soonest you will get your money.

We wait to hear from you soonest and again we say congratulations once more.

Regards,
William Derrick
Tel: +31-644 - 893 - 645
Fax: +31-84 -737 - 8473
________________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam