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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
  (+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.
  • +31626513711 (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.
  • coventryagent@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Fred Davidson" <coventry_lotto_promo@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 08 May 2007 01:35:15 +1200
Subject: WINNERS IN OUR PROGRAM

COVENTRY LOTTERY PROMOTIONS
National Office,
Van Limburg Stirumstraat 40,
2316 TS, Leiden, Nederland
Serial Number: 652-662


TO WINNERS IN OUR PROGRAM

We wish to congratulate you over your success in our computer balloting Sweepstake held on Saturday 5th. May 2007.

This is a millennium scientific computer game in which email addresses were used. It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users; therefore you do not need to buy ticket to enter for the game.

However, your email address was attached to Ref number 5, 7, 10, 16, 43, 56; with serial number 652-662 draw lucky numbers 10, this eventually won the lottery in the first category of the draws.

Therefore, you have won a lottery jackpot prize award of € 1,250,000
(One million two hundred and fifty thousand Euros Only) This is from total prize money of €37,500,000.00 distributed to winners from 1st to 3rd categories.

Note that this program was largely promoted and sponsored by a group of Philanthropist, industrialists from the internet ware industry and some other big multinational firms who wish to be anonymous.

You may wish to establish contact via e-mail with the particulars presented below citing the Serial number and reference numbers to this letter.

Telephone lines are open between the hours of 8.00am - 9.30pm on Monday through Saturday
Customer Service Unit,
Telephone: +31-62-651-3711
Fax: +31-84-736-5291
Email: coventryagent@aim.com
Contact person: Mr. George Raymond.

Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and press anonymity until the end of proceedings, and beyond where they so desire.

Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until the end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated with fraudulent claims.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
At your disposal, we remain.
Very Truly Yours,
Mr. Fred Davidson
Online Games Director
COVENTRY-LOTTERY
National Office,
Van Limburg Stirumstraat 40,
2316 TS, Leiden, Nederland.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam