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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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 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.
  • pauldonald@executivemail.co.za (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: saonlinelotto@executivemail.co.za
Date: Fri, 04 Jan 1980 03:03:54 -0800
Subject: Cash Prize Award Notification

FROM THE DESK OF THE PROMOTION MANAGER
SA LOTTERY, SOUTH AFRICA.

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are happy to inform you that you have won a cash prize of $650.000.00(Six hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars in the SA ONLINE LOTTERY new year Promotional draw announced today 16th January of 2006.

Winners were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 5,500,000 email addresses of individuals from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and New Zealand as part of our electronic business Promotions Program. You qualified for the draw as a result of visiting SA LOTTERY ORGANIATION e-business websites on the Internet.

A ticket number 100-309-7482, with serial number 111 410-887 was attached to your email address which drew the lucky numbers 1 10 29 37 45 49 and consequently won in the second category.

CONGRATULATIONS!

You are to contact the director of SA LOTTERY claims department with the information below to arrange for your payout,

Mr. Paul Donald
Email: pauldonald@executivemail.co.za.
Tel : 27-83-990-3569
Ensure that you contact the director of claims department not later than 14 working days from the day you receive this notification message for due processing and remittance of your prize.

Finally, please make sure you quote your ticket and serial number when contacting the claims department for easy reference.

Sincerely,

MRS MAGRET POWELL
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
SA LOTTERY SOUTH AFRICA.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam