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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.
• 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.
  • +31620925917 (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.
  • regiocapbnk@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: ajvePOSTCODELOTERIJ-NL <wydpnlmesage@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:47:37 +0100
Subject: AWARD NOTICE:

Dear Winner,

We notify you that your email address has won you a sum of 1,000,000 euros in Postcode lotto
International in category (B) 0f the draw, with ticket No: NL/BC336791/HY07 and prize No:
PM/934107/JN, deposited with European Central Bank,this draw was held on 16th feb.,2007.

METHOD OF SELECTING WINNERS: Winners were selected through an internet ballot system from
50,000 individual and companies e-mail addresses world wide - the draws were conducted through our
internet based ballot system.The promotion is promoted by Postcode Loterij netherlands.

To claim your Prize,send mail with your name,address,phone/fax, ticket and prize numbers to our paying
bank address written below.

Contact Person: Mr.David Meyer
Email: regiocapbnk@aim.com
Tel: +31 620 925 917

NOTE: All winnings are nullified after 10 working days from today if unclaimed.

Yours Sincerely,
Joan Van Henk(Lottery Coordinator)
www.postcodeloterij.nl

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam