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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.

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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "into your nominated bank account" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • claimdept001@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "electronic lottery" <elect330@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 13:19:24 +0200
Subject: CONGRATULATION FOR YOUR WINNING !!!

FROM THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR
PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT.
ELECTRONIC LOTTERIJ LOTTO NL
REF NO: NLD/552/483/01717
BATCH NO: 435/686/ 211 /VKT

Dear Winner,
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today,of winners of the
Electronic Lottery International Programs held on the 7Th of July and
released on 25Th of July 2006, your e-mail address attached to ticket
number: ESLI/7/109/556/408 with Serial number: 50/CL/452 drawn from the
lucky number: 302/298/333/541, and consequently won in the 1st category.You
have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of Nine Hundred And
Twenty-Five Thousand Euro Only ( 925,000.00 Euro) in cash credited to file
reference number : NLD/552/483/01717 and Batch Number: 435/686/211 /VKT.

CONGRATULATION ! ! !
Your funds have now been deposited and insured with our affiliate security
firm for transfer into your nominated bank account either by means of wire
transfers through any of our correspondent banks or any other means suitable
to you. We also advice that you keep your winning information very
confidential as our security policy demands to avoid double
claims/impersonation and unwarranted taking advantage of this program by
participants.

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from
over 75,000 companies and individual email addresses from Europe, America,
Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Africa and New Zea-land as part of international
program which we conduct once every year.

To process your claims, you are urgently requested to contact our claim
department in Amsterdam-Netherlands immediately. Upon contact, make sure
you quote your REF NO: NLD/552/483/01717, Batch No:435/686/ 211 /VKT, your
name, country and telephone in all your correspondence with the Manager in
Charge.

Electronic Lotterij Claim Department
E-MAIL: claimdept001@sify.com
Director Dr.V. Martins

For the processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated bank
account of your choice.

Please be aware that your paying bank will effect payment swiftly upon
satisfactory report and verifications provided by our processing
department.Note that all winnings must be claimed not later than 30Th of
October 2006. After this date all unclaimed funds will be return to the
promotion company.Furthermore, should there be any change of address do
inform your claim agent as soon as possible.

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs.Rita Joop
Public Relation Officer.

_________________________________________________________________
MSN Search, for accurate results! http://search.msn.nl

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam