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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.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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 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.
  • electronis@walla.com
  • electronis1lotto@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: JOAN VAN FRITZ <joan_fritzz@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 07:26:30 +0200
Subject: JOAN VAN FRITZ (NO: 236/552/483/0161 )


FROM THE DESK OF AWARD DEPARTMENT
GOVERNMENT ACCREDITED LICENSED LOTTERY
REFERENCE NUMBER: 236/552/483/0161
BATCH NUMBER: 235/686/ 211 / 007

Dear Lucky Winnerbixnfleisch,

RE: ELECTRONIC LOTTO PROMOTION PRIZE AWARDS WINNING NOTIFICATION!

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today,of winners of the Electronic lotto Sweepstakes
International Programs, your e-mail address attached to ticket number:ESLI/7/ 109/556/408 with Serial
number: 50/CL/452 drawn from the lucky number: 302/298/333/541, and consequently won in the 1st
category. You have therefore been approved for a huge sum of Eight Hundred And Seven Thousand,
Euros Only (870,000.00 Euro).
CONGRATULATION ! ! !

Your prize winning money of 870,000.00 euro has been deposited and insured with your e-mail address in
your favor alone, we therefore ask you to keep your winning information confidential until your claims has
been processed and your money remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid
double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants.

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 65,000 companies and
individual email addresses from Europe, America, Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Africa and New Zeal-and as
part of international program which we conduct once every year.

To begin your claim /processing of your prize winning, you are advised to contact the remittance
department through the information below:

REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT:
E-MAIL: electronis@walla.com or electronis1lotto@aim.com
DIRECTOR: MR. GILL MAARTEN.

For the processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated bank account of your
choice.Please be aware that your paying bank will effect payment swiftly upon satisfactory report and
verifications provided by our remittance department. Remember, if not claim for certain period it will
returned as unclaimed to the office.

Note in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, remember to quote your reference and
batch numbers in all correspondence.You are also advised to provide him with the under listed
information as soon as possible:

1. Name in full
2. Address
3. Nationality
4. Age
5. Occupation
6. Phone/Fax,

Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform your claim agent as soon as possible.

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs.Joan Van Fritz
Co-ordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam