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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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.
  • +27731065222 (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.
  • g_adams@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: crestawinnersoffice@hotmail.com
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 17:12:37 +0200
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS YOU WON A LOTTERY

CRESTA WINNERS PROMOTIONS
NEW GATE 21B
GAUTENG PROVINCE

FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF: EGS/2551256003/03
BATCH: 14/0017/IPD

RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION


Be informed that you have emerged a winner of our Lottery International Program that was drawn three days from the day of this notice.
Attached to ticket number 7768880012,with serial Number 2113-05 matched the winning numbers 7,23,5,45,8 BONUS NO: 62, and consequently won our Stakers
International lottery in the 5th category.

Approved is a lump sum of Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($700,000.00) in cash prize accredited to file REF NO. JSL/2554259003/07 that should be released to you.
This is from the total prize money of ($10,500,000) shared among the fifteen International winners in this category.
Participants were selected through a referral program and winners were picked by a computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 names from Australia,New Zealand, America,Asia,Europe,Africa and North America as part our International Promotions Program, which is conducted annually. Due to the
mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money released to you.

To begin your claim, please contact the claims department:

Mr.GEORGE ADAMS
(Claims Manager)
Phone:+27 73 106 5222
Email:g_adams@yahoo.com

NB: Prizes must be claimed not later than 2 working weeks.
After these stipulated days, all funds will be returned as unclaimed prizes and will channeled for charity. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your winning reference batch numbers in every one of your correspondences with the claims
officer.

Congratulations and thank you for being part of our International promotions program.

Best regards,
OLIVER ADA
(CRESTA WINNERS PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR)



CONGRATULATIONS YOU WON A LOTTERY

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam