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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "global mega lottery"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "foreign service manager" (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.
  • +27739612233 (South Africa, 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.
  • contactphvan14@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "australian lottery" <australianlotte258@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 16:19:49 +0200
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION (CONGRATULATIONS).

CONGRATULATIONS


FROM THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS AWARD
DEPARTMENT.

Date: 15/07/06,
Ref: 474061725/06,
Batch: 7056490902/188,
Winning No: GB8701/LPRC

Dear,

We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 15TH OF JULY
2006, from the Australian International Lottery program.

Your name "email address" was attached to ticket number; 47061725 Batch:
7056490902/188, serial number 7741137002, this batch draws the lucky numbers
as follows 2-9-22-23-24-30 bonus number 5, which consequently won the
lottery in the second category.

You hereby have been approved lump sum pay of S$750,000.00 (SEVEN HUNDRED
AND FIFTY THAUSAND DOLLARS) in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/02 from
the total cash prize of US12, 000,000.00 shared amongst Sixteen lucky
winners, based on their category.

All participants "email address" were selected through a computer balloting
system drawn from Nine hundred thousand names from Canada, Australia, United
States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceanic as part of our
international promotions program which is conducted annually.

This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by some multinational companies as
part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where
they have operational base.

Further more your "email address" falls within our European representative
office in Amsterdam, Holland. As indicated in your play coupon and your
prize of US$750,000.00 will be released to you from this regional branch
office in SOUTH AFRICA.

We hope with part of your prize, you will participate in our middle of the
year high stakes for US$1.3 Billion international draw.

Please do contact:
Dr. PHIL VAN (M.D).
PHONE: +27-73-961-2233.
Email: contactphvan14@yahoo.com
FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER,
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
GLOBAL MEGA LOTTERY
UINVERSAL BUILDING, 132 – 133 PARK HURST
BALFOUR – UNIT 1440. JOHANNESBURG. 2001
GAUTENG.

Please quote your reference, batch and winning number which can be Found on
the top left corner of this notification as well as your full names and
address to help locate your file easily.

For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information
Confidential from the public until your claim is processed and your Prize
released to you.

This is part of our security protocol to avoid dual claiming and Unwarranted
Taking advantage of this program by non-participant or unofficial personnel.

Note, all winnings MUST be claimed with a specified date; otherwise YOUR
PRIZE will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually donated to Charity.

Congratulations once again on Your winnings!

Best Regards

HELEN CLARK.

(Co-ordinator).

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam