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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")
• 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.
  • +27734762720 (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.
  • drchrisbaloyi@yahoo.gr

Fraud email example:

From: "ZENEX LOTTERY" <zenexlott@yahoo.de> (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 1 Oct 2005 18:12:27 +0200
Subject: PROMOTIONS MANAGER

FROM: PROMOTIONS MANAGER
ZENEX LOTTERY
MELVILLE, SOUTH AFRICA.

WINNING NOTIFICATION

We are pleased to inform you from ZENEX LOTTERY. of winners in the Lottery , which your e mail address was selected in our category (A) winners.
Participants in the draws were selected through a computer ballot
System drawn from 2,500,000 e-mail addresses of individuals and
Companies from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle
East and New Zealand as part of our electronic business Promotions
Program.

You are qualified for the draw as a result of you visiting various
Websites we are running the Electronic-business promotions for
You/Your Company e-mail address, attached with REFERENCE NUMBER: ZAR
23457677/2005 BATCH NUMBER: 79-124-WAN with serial number 818-09 drew
The lucky numbers 7-8-40-15-3-49 and consequently won our lottery
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of
US$2,200,000.00 In cash, this is the winning payout for category (A)
Winners.

This is From the total prize money of US$15.5 Million shared among the
winners In the First category.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your winnings should be claimed from our claims Agents as we have notified them. Due to the mix-up that may arise from emails of winners and numbers we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program.

To begin your claim, please contact our paying agent who also Will be your claims agent.

Dr.Chris Baloyi
CLAIMS MANAGER
ZENEX LOTTERY
MELVILLE, SOUTH AFRICA
TEL: +27-73-476-2720
FAX: +27-73-476-2720

EMAIL:drchrisbaloyi@yahoo.gr

For due processing and remittance of your prize money, you are to
contact your claims agent not later than two weeks after notification.
After this date all funds will be returned as unclaimed.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers above.
Also to begin your Claim send to your claims agent the Following information.

1) BATCH AND REFFERENCE NUMBERS
2) FULL NAMES
3) MAILING ADDRESS
4) PHONE AND FAX NUMBERS
5) AMOUNT WON.
6) AGE

Congratulations.

Sincerely,

MRS. ZANELE NKOSI
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam