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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.

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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • " lotto international " (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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)
• 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.
  • +31645487584 (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.
  • hansjames212@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Lotto Int'l NL" <contactlottonl@aim.com>
Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 06:51:11 +0900
Subject: PLEASE READ!!


GOVERNMENT ACCREDITED LICENSED LOTTERY PROMOTERS.
NOTICE FOR CATEGORY \"A\" WINNER

Dear Winner,
RE: LOTTO INTERNATIONAL NL PROMOTION PRIZE AWARDS
WINNING NOTIFICATION

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just
concluded annual final draws of Lotto International
Netherlands programs.The online cyber lotto draws was
conducted from an exclusive list of 25,000 e-mail
Addresses of individual and corporate bodies picked by
an advanced automated random computer search from the
internet. No tickets were sold. After this automated
computer ballot, your e-mail address emerged as one of
two winners in the category \"A\" with the following:

Ref Number: PC 607 ES 208
Batch Number: 26371545-LNI/2008
Ticket Number: PCP 002 871

To claim your winning prize you are to contact the appointed
claim agent as soon as possible for the immediate release
of your winnings with the following informations below:

Full Name:...................................
Contact Address:..................................
Country:..........................................
Telephone
No/code:......................................
Occupation:.......................................
Sex:..............................................
Age:..............................................


You as well as the other winner are therefore to
receive a cash prize of EUR 1,500,000.00.each from the
total payout. Your prize award has been insured with
your e-mail address and will be transferred to you
upon meeting our requirements, statutory,
verifications, and satisfactory report. To begin the
claims processing of your prize winnings you are
advised to contact our licensed claims agent for
category \"A\"winners with the information below:

Mr. James Hans
E-mail:hansjames212@aim.com
Phone: +31 645 487 584
Department Director,
Netherlands Lottery International
Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Agatha DeBoer,
Lotto International Netherlands

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam