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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "euro afro american lottery promotion"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim 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)
• 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.
  • finidihans@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: prizeaward2010bid@myway.com
Date: Wed, 09 Aug 2006 08:23:39 -0800
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS

Euro Afro American Lottery promotion Switzerland
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT

Attention:Winner,

We happily announce to you the draw of South African 2010 World cup
Bid lottery Award International programs held in Zurich, Switzerland.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:B966575604546199 with!
Serial number 97560 drew the winning:60/84/27/17/36,which subsequently
won you the lottery award in the 2nd category.

Your name has therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
US$6,000.000.00 (Six million United States Dollars) in cash credited to
file number KPC/9030108308/03.

This is from a total cash prize of $18,000,000.00 (Eighteen million
United States dollars) shared among the first Three lucky winners in
this category worldwide.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our lottery
booklet representative office in South Africa as indicated in the play
coupon. In view of this, your $6,000.000 (Six Million United States
Dollars) will be released to you through the assistance of our Claim
Agent. He will immediately commence the process to facilitate the
release of your Prize to you as soon as you contact him.

All participants were selected randomly from Worldwide Website through
Computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000,00 companies and
Individual email addresses. The lottery program took place to promote
South Africa's 2010 world cup award.

Please you are advised to file for your claim through our Claim Agent
Dr.Finidi Hans immediately you receive this mail.

Name: Dr.Finidi Hans.
Email:finidihans@myway.com
Phone: 27 76 466 5363.

Congratulations.

Yours Sincerely,

Gillian Kennedy.
Promotions Manager
2010 World Cup Bid.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam