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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.

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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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +31610249938 (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.
  • financetrust@yahoo.de (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: eur pwr <louiseballenberger62@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:09:28 +0300
Subject: IMPORTANT EMAIL USER NOTIFICATION!!!!


IMPORTANT EMAIL USER NOTIFICATION!!!!THE DESK OF THE ONLINE LOTTERY COORDINATOR,INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/ PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT.FROM:EUROPW LOTTO PLUS Dear Winner, Following the official results of the Email electronic online Sweepstakes organized by theEUROPW LOTTO PLUS,the Slidecircuir award and the Heineken prizes in conjunction with the foundation for the promotion of software products(F.P.S.), held on the 30th of July 2007, in The Netherlands,wherein your electrononic email address emerged as one of the online winning emails in the 1st category and therefore attracted a cash award of €1,000,000.00(One million Euro only) with the following particulars:(I) Reference Number:NM/BC64367/KY23(ii) Ticket Number: 1942896-9032 (iii)Batch Number: NM/34w45/WOP (iv)File Number: 2-34-90-57-1101(v) Draw lucky number:1-3-4-9/07 We write to officially notify you of this award and to advise you to contact the processing office immediately upon receipt of this message for more information concerning the verification processing and eventual payment of the above prize to you.
Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,remember to quote your reference number and batch number in all correspondence.You will need to have your identification documents and claim form notarized by the fiduciary agent before a magistrate or notary public in The Netherlands.Please note that your lucky winning numbers falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon.
Please contact the claim agent{below} within 5 working days to facilitate the release of your prize. CONTACT NAME: Mr.Alfred Riemen.FOREIGN TRANSFER MANAGER TEL: +31-610-249-938EMAIL:financetrust@yahoo.de The EUROPW LOTTO PLUS is sponsored by a consortium of software promotion companies.The Intel Group,Toshiba,Dell Computers, Microsoft and other international companies.EUROPW LOTTO PLUS draw is so organized to encourage the use of the internet and promote computer literacy worldwide.All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 1,000,000 companies and 30,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over theworld, names from Australia, New Zealand,America, Europe, North America, Middle East, Africaand Asia as part of International Promotions Program.This promotional program takes place once a year for a contract period of three years and we are glad to inform you that we are successfully in the second year of this independent and unique promotion blazing the trailin this 21st century.
Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your winning information confidential until your claim has been processed and your money Remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. Once again on behalf of all our staff,CONGRATULATIONS!!! Sincerely, Mrs Louise Ballenberger. Promotions Coordinator.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam