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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.
• 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.
  • +31616217896 (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.
  • custservices77@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: <pamela.sophia@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2006 02:18:23 +1100
Subject:

YOUR WINNING DETAILS
Ref No: GML/2551256003/11
Batch No: 14/0017/IPD
Serial No: GMLA2-003
Ticket No: 12077
Lucky No: 425448/7785.

Attn: Lottery Winner,

FINAL NOTICE/ NOTIFICATION.
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the staatsloterij.nl lottery
programs held this AUGUST 2006 with your e-mail address attached to one of
the winning ticket numbers.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 900,000.00 (Nine
hundred thousand euros)
Congratulations!!!
All participants were selected through a Multi-international computer
ballot system drawn from our sponsors databases,
including over 50,000 companies and 150,000 individual E-mail addresses and
names submitted by our agents drawn from Asia,Africa, Europe, North And
South America and around the world,
as part of our international promotion program.

Due to mix up of some names and addresses, we ask that you keep this award
personal, till your claims have been processed and your funds remitted to
you.
This is part of our security measures to avoid double claiming or
unwarranted taking advantage of the situation by other participants or
impersonators.
To begin your claim, do file for the release of your winnings by contacting
our accredited agent: MR.Otto Bruderer,
Foreign Transfer Manager,
:Tel:+31-616-217-896
Fax:+31-847--249-965.
Email:custservices77@aim.com

Please provide the following infos when contacting your claims agent:
Full Names:
Address :
Nationality:
Country:
Occupation:
Tel/Fax #:
Gender:
Age :
Amount Won:
Company:

NOTE: All winnings must be notarized to complete the claim process; winners
will be referred to a Foreign Transfer Manager, to have their winnings
notarized,
all winners are to cover the legal charges not STAATSLOTERIJ. NL,
Please note: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications always
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in all correspondence.

They are your agent, and responsible for the processing and transfer of
your winning funds to you.
Your Security File no SRF\X1090-K1-674 (keep personal)Remember your winning
must be claimed not later than (20-09-06) after this date, all unclaimed
funds maybe returned to the lotto organizers. Furthermore, should there be
any change in your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully
Mrs.Pamela Sophia
Contact your claims agent
Mr.Otto Bruderer
Foreign Transfer Manager at
custservices77@aim.com,

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam