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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million 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)
  • "million us 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.
  • +27732408316 (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.
  • southdevefico@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "VODAFONELOTTO PROMOTIONINTER" <vodalop1@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 11:28:29 +0000
Subject: UR DE LUCKY WINNER(CONGRATULATIONS)

WINNING NOTICE FOR CATEGORY "C" WINNERS

Dear SIR/MADAM,
CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

VODAFONE AFRICA LOTTO PROMOTIONS INTERNATIONAL.
FINAL PRIZE AWARDS WINNING NOTIFICATION
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just concluded annual
final draws of De VODAFONE AFRICA LOTTO PROMOTIONS INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY
PROGRAMS of 31st November 2005. . This lotto promotions South Africa was
established in the year 1998 under International lottery Promotions
Accredited licensed Authority South Africa.
Emails addresses of participants were randomly selected. No tickets were
sold. The emails are being chosen from a computer ballot system drawn from
4,251,000 personal and corporate email addresses from the entire continent.
Ranging from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, and the rest
of the world as part of our Electronic Business Promotions Program. Your
email address is one of millions of addresses selected from various website
on the Internet which qualify for the draw. Your email was attached to
ticket number VLP342-458X, and serial number 0012455566 drew the lucky
numbers 2, 5,10, 16, 24, 36, 48. The ticket number attached to your email
address came with the following
details below, which makes you the winner in the third category of the draw.
Below are the winning results of the ticket attached to your email. Winning
Ticket is Number - VLP342-458X Serial Number - 0012455566 your lucky draw
Numbers are - 2, 5, 10, 16, 24, 36, 48 Bonus Number - 9.INSURANCE Number:
04/10044/256 Since you are the winner in the third category of the draw, you
are therefore the winner of Three Million United States Dollars
(US$3,000,000.00,) which will be paid out to you in cash through bank to
bank telegraphic monetary transfer system, The total amount of
US$30,000,000.00 will be shared among Ten international jackpot winners.
Your Ref Number:
35149/337-5247/SA
Batch Number: 26371545-SAI/2005
Ticket Number: E 548662350
You as well as the other winners in category C’’ are therefore to receive a
cash prize of THREE MILLION US DOLLARS. (US $3,000.000.00) each from the
total payout. Your prize awards have been insured with your e-mail address
and will be transferred to you upon meeting our requirements, statutory
obligations, verifications, validations and satisfactory report. To begin
the claims processing of your prize winnings you are advised to contact our
licensed and accredited claims agent office South-Africa Development Finance
Company (SADFC) for category "C" winners with the information below:
Mr.MARTIN ZULU
MANAGER, (SADFC)
125 LIOUS BOTHA AVE.
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA
PHONE +27-7324-08316

EMAIL (southdevefico@yahoo.co.uk)

NOTE: For security reasons and accurate payout of the winning prize, be
informed that your winning prize of US$3,000,000.00 is deposited with our
finance firm (Absa Bank South Africa} with your email address, which won you
this prize. All winnings must be claimed not later than 40 days. After this
date, all unclaimed funds would be included in the next stake. Remember to
quote your reference information in all correspondence. You are to keep all
lotto information away from the general public especially your reference and
ticket numbers. (This is important as a case of double
Claims will not be entertained). Anybody under the age of 18 and members of
the affiliate agencies are automatically not allowed to participate in
this program.

Thank you and
congratulations once more.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Mildred Hugo
Promotion Department VODAPHONE AFRICA COMMUNICATION Johannesburg, South
Africa.
VODAFONE SOUTH AFRICA GOES WORLWIDE THIS PROGRAM IS SPONSORED BY: SOUTH
AFRICAN LOTTO AUTHORITY AND SUPPORTED BY: (VODAFONE AFRICA COMMUNICATION
COMPANY ASSOCIATION)



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam