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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims office" (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)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +31647283937 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "MARKT INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMME"
<edwardlestra001@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:57:17 GMT
Subject: $2,500,000.00, Lucky Winner!!!


MARKT INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMME.............

WINNING NOTIFICATION FOR CATEGORY =22A=22 WINNER ONLY
Attn Lucky Winner,
We are pleased to inform you that you have emerged a winner in the final =
annual draw of our Lottery International Programs. Your email address was =
selected by our Electronic Random=20
Selection System (ERSS) from an
exclusive list of 250,000,000 e-mail addresses of individual and corporate =
bodies generated from an internet resource database.No tickets were sold.

Your email address is identified with Batch Number: 444821545-NL/2007 and
Ticket Number: PP 3812 /2007-07 in Category =22A=22 and your claims =
portfolio
is filed with Ref Number:MARKT 80 ES 9414.You are therefore to receive a
cash prize of =242,500,000.00. (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand United =
States Dollars) from the total payout.

CONGRATULATIONS=21=21=21.

Your prize award has been insured under a bonded depository policy with =
your e-mail address, and will be transferred to you upon meeting the =
claims requirements, statutory obligations, verifications, validations and =
satisfactory report.
To file for the processing of your prize sum payment, you are advised to =
contact our Certified and Accredited claims agent for category =22A=22 =
winners
with the information below:
*************************************
Name:Mr.Edward Lestra
Tel: +31 647 283 937
Email:edwardlestra001=40yahoo.com.hk
*************************************
You are advice to provide him with the following
information:
Names:
Telephone/Fax number:
Nationality:
Age:
Occupation:

NOTE: All winnings must be claimed not later than 14 days, thereafter
unclaimed funds would be included in the next stake. Remember to quote =
your reference information in all correspondence.

You are to keep all lotto information confidential,especially your
reference and ticket numbers.This is important as a case of double claims =
will not be entertained.

Members of staff of affiliate agencies are automatically not allowed to =
participate in this program. Furthermore, should there be any change of =
address do inform our agent as soon as possible. Congratulations once more =
from our members of staff and thank you for being part of our promotional =
program.

Yours Faithfully,
Martin Prak
Lottery Coordinator.
PRIVACY STATEMENT

1. Personal and winning data provided by winners to THIS PROMO remains =
known ONLY to the winner and INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMS =
ORGANISATION.
2a. All e-mail addresses, contact information,
photographs and/or personal data of winners SHALL NOT be published or =
disclosed on ANY public or in any other public place or via any medium =
accessible to the public.
2b. All e-mail addresses, contact information,
photographs and/or personal data of winners SHALL NOT be disclosed to or =
made available to any third party or agent outside the claims office.
3. All e-mail addresses, contact information and/or personal data of =
winners are kept in an=20
isolated database server protected from any external access using SSL =
locking on 6th level binary pharse. This data is made accessible ONLY to =
MARKT INTERNATIONAL
CYBER LOTTERY staff and authorized agents directly involved with the =
processing of winners claims.
4. Winners are advised to keep their winning
information away from public knowledge, in order to avoid any double =
claims, impersonation or misrepresentation during the claims process.MARKT =
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMS will not be liable for any misplaced =
claims as a owing to your negligence or publishing of your winning =
information.=

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam