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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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• 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:

• 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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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.
  • +27739749239 (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.
  • davidmolepe@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Prize organiser" <uptowngold@workmail.co.za>
Date: Wed, 03 May 2006 02:11:46 -0600
Subject: Congratulations

THIRD CATEGORY WINNER

After a successful completion of the third category draws of the UPTOWN
GOLD
SWEEPSTAKES SPECIAL, held on 30TH APRIL 2006, we are pleased to
inform you of the official announcement today that you have emerged one of
the winners of the CLEARWATER CHAMPION SWEEPSTAKES SPECIAL PROGRAMS, which
is
part of our promotional draws. Participants were selected through a
computer
ballot system drawn from 25,000 names/email addresses of individuals and
companies from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle
East, and New Zealand as part of our International Promotions Program.

You/Your company, attached to ticket number 999-67-1105, with serial number
235-90 drew the lucky numbers 8, 12, 31, 44, 77, 40, (10), and consequently
won in the Third Category. You have therefore been awarded a lump sum pay
out of US$1,900,000.00 in cash, which is the winning payout for third
category winners. This is from the total prize money of US$111,020,000.00
from which Fourteen international winners in the Third category will be
shared.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your fund is now deposited with MIDRAND SECURITY SERVICES, insured in your
name. To avoid mix up of numbers and names of any kind, we request that you
keep this award strictly from public notice until the entire process of
transferring your claims has been completed, and your certified banker's
Cheque sent to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double
claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program. We also wish
to bring to your notice our end of year (2006) high stakes where you stand
a
chance of winning up to US$2.3 billion; we hope that with a part of your
prize you will participate.
Please contact your claims agent immediately, to begin your claims process;

MR.DAVID MOLEPE.
CHIEF CLAIMS MANAGER,
MIDRAND SECURITIES LTD.
PHONE: +27 73 9749239
EMAIL:davidmolepe@netscape.net

for due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated
account of your choice. Remember, you must contact your claims agent within
a week of receiving this mail.

NOTE: To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to
quote your reference and batch numbers provided below in every one of your
correspondence with your claims agent.

REFERENCE NUMBER: CLW-424ZA13-06
BATCH NUMBER: 71823LT-ZA6

Congratulations once again from all our staff and thank you for being part
of our promotions program.

Sincerely,
WINNIE HENS MRS
THE LOTTERY COORDINATOR,
UPTOWN GOLD SWEEPSTAKES SPECIAL.
236 PINE ROAD,
RADIOCOP, JOHANNESBURG.
2194 SOUTH AFRICA.

N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result
to
disqualification. Please do not reply to this mail. Rather, contact your
claims agent whose credentials are listed above. All staff of UPTOWN
GOLD Trust,MIDRAND Securities Ltd and members of their family as well as
South Africans of all ages are barred from this lottery.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam