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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• 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:
  • "claim 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.
  • +31617628550 (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.
  • vancole@list.ru (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: mary wilker <mary@wilkermary3.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 11:56:28 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: UNIVERSAL LOTTO NL 2006


UNIVERSAL LOTTO NL 2006
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM
724 Annamstraat 1102 Pn,
Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Website: www.lotto.nl
Ref. Nº: ESM/WIN/008/05/10/MA
Batch. Nº: EULO/2907/444/908/06.
Dear Winner,
Today, we announce the 10 lucky winners of the UNIVERSAL EMAIL LOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS held on 10th, day of July 2006. Your email address attached to ticket star number (UL45407) with serial number UL51622 drew the UNIVERSAL EMAIL LOTTO lucky numbers 378-165-40-89-76 which consequently star prize of 1.2M EUROS (One million, two hundred thousand euros only)
To file for your claim, please contact our claim agent with the following,
1. Your ticket number, Reference/Batch number and amount won.
2. your full name
3. Tel/fax number, mobile tel number,
*********************************************************************
Mr. Van Cole (CLAIM AGENT)
AMSTERDAM-NETHERLANDS
Email: vancole@list.ru
Tel: +31 617 628 550
*********************************************************************
This promotion is being organised by a non governmental organization, it is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users.
WARNING!! BEWARE OF INTERNET LOTTERY IMPOSTERS, ANY MAIL RECIEVED OF THIS SUCH WITH ANY OTHER OR SIMILAR TRADE MARK OR ADDRESS SHOULD BE FOWARDED TO YOUR CLAIMS PROCESSOR IMMEDIATELY; THIS WILL HELP US TO FIGHT SCAM AND LOTTERY IMPOSTERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED CO-OPERATION

Mrs. Mary Wilker
Lottery coordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam