419 scam: "Martin Olfers (Vaals S. Games)"<non_reply@lottodept.nl> Super Reference Code:

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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 uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "we will advice you " (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.
- +31649578916 (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.
- vaalssweeps@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Martin Olfers (Vaals S. Games)" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <vaalssweeps@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:14:22 +0100
Subject: Super Reference Code:

Vaals Super Games.
Vaals, The Netherlands.
Tel: +31-649-578916
Fax: +31-708-910428
Email: vaals@lottodept.nl
Email: vaalssweeps@gmail.com

Greetings to you as we write to inform you of the successful conduct of our recent Internet Sweepstakes Program of last week Saturday the 10th of March, 2012 and that your email address which was active on the Internet Traffic and entered into this our free program with a File Serial Number: V/5XX2G/12, has won you it owner an approved cash prize of €5,715,000 Only (Five Million, Seven Hundred & Fifteen Thousand Euro Only) in the New Online category. This approved and Certified winning funds will be given out to you from our quarterly donations to the society in the form of a Goodwill Gesture and you don't need to even purchase a ticket or play our online games to participate in our Free Sweepstakes Program. See below are your winning details with which you can apply for the release of the winning funds to you.

Reference Code: WVCSweeps.
Winning Numbers: 5,7,19,21,36,37.
File Serial Numbers: V/5XY2H/12

You have to claim the fund within 28 days of your receipt of this email message and we expect you to send the above stated winning details with your complete names and telephone number to the above email address of our payment department, for the release of the Sweepstakes funds to you. This message was sent from a notification email address and we do not check it regularly hence we will advice you only use the above said email addresses in writing our payment department.

They await your urgent response with the requested details.

Sincerely yours,
Martin Olfers.
Vaals Super Games.
Vaals, the Netherlands.
Copyright (c) 2011

Disclaimer:
This is an Online Sweepstakes Program and our winner’s emerges by luck and they did not need to play our online games before participating in this Program. Should you decide not to claim the prize funds, then kindly ignore its content and delete it from your message address because it is a criminal offense to edit, use any part of it or even distribute this email message without a written permission from us.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam