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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
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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:

• 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.
  • +34659128375 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "VERTEX SECURITAS S.A" <vertexsecuritas@wanadoo.es> (may be fake)
Reply-To: vertexsecuritas2005@yahoo.es
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2006 13:13:20 +0200
Subject: FINAL AWARD NOTIFICATION

LOTTERY LA PRIMITIVA.
C/GUSMAN EL BUENO,137 MADRID - ESPANA.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF: LP/26510460037/02 BATCH: 24/00319/IPD
ATTENTION: Winner,
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement, of winners of
the LOTTERY
PRIMITIVA SWEEPSTAKES/INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS held on 8TH of SEPTEMBER , 2006.
Your name is attached to ticket number 004-05117963-198, with
serial number 99375 drew the lucky numbers 06-18 -23-27-41-43, and
consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category. You have
therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of EUROS 1.000.000
(One Million, Euros) in cash credited to file No:LP/26510460037/ from total prize money EUROS 80,400,000.00 shared among the two international winners in this category. All participants were
selected through a computer ballot system drawn form 20,000 names
from Australia, New Zealand, America, Europe, North America and
Asia as part of International Promotions Program, which is
conducted annually. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your
fund is now insured to your name. Due to the mix up of some
numbers and
names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice
until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to
your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or
unscrupulous acts by participants of this program. We hope with a
part of you prize, you will participate in our end of year high
stakes Euros1.1 billion International Lottery. To begin your
claim, please contact VERTEX SECURITY COMPANY MADRID.Reply to this mail address, EMAIL: vertexsecuritas2005@yayhoo.es <mailto:vertexsecuritas2005@yayhoo.es> SPAIN ,PHONE NUMBER (+34 659 128 375), PETERSON LOPEZ (OPERATION MANAGERS). For due processing and
remittance of your prize money to a designated account . Remember,
all prize money must be claimed not later than 30th of OCTUBER, 2006. After
this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed. NOTE: In order
to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to
quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your
correspondences with the security company . Furthermore, should
there be any change of your address, do inform your claims agent
as soon as possible. Congratulations again from all our staff and
thank you for being part of our promotions programm.
Sincerely,
PETERSON LOPEZ.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam