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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.

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.
  • +31633727616 (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.
  • accredited_licensed.promoters@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: mina <minka2000us@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:49:31 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: MaryAnn Klose" <chrisbka@charter.net>


REF: WE67/4360/34
BATCH: 11/4578/GN

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners
International programs held on the 11th of April, 2007. Your e-mail
address attached to ticket number 653164251591-6011 with serial number
7321410,batch number 151085135,lottery ref number 6376527711 and drew
lucky numbers 4-9-17-36-44-78 which consequently won in the 1st
category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of
1.500,000.00 Euros (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Euros)
=====================================================
To file for your claim, please fill the enclosed form and send it by
email to out lottery paying officer for the processing for your claim
with the informatin below:
ALLAN WOUTERS,
Remittance Department Director,
Tel: +31 633 727 616
FAX: +31 847 580 469
Email: accredited_licensed.promoters@yahoo.com.hk
=====================================================
FULL NAME:
RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS:
OCCUPATION:
COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE:
TEL NO:


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam