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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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +27736278899 (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.
  • lindamay_mtn@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MTN LOTTERY" <mtn_everywhere_you_go48@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: lindamay_mtn@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2006 13:44:57 +0200
Subject: Congratulations!!!

MTN-MEGA-MILLION

LOTTERY 2006

SPECIAL WINNING NOTIFICATION

 

YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WAS SELECTED ON THE

THE COMPUTER PROMOTIONAL BALLOT SYSTEM DRAW, AS ONE OF THE WINNING EMAIL ADDRESS ON THE INTERNET COMPUTER LOTTERY DRAW.

THE PROGRAM WAS HELD BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN LEADING LOTTERY ORGANIZATION, KNOWN AS...

...MTN MEGA-MILLION LOTTERY

THERE WAS A COMPUTER BALLOT WHICH QUALIFIED YOU AS ONE OF THE WINNER OF THE SUM OF

US$ 1,000,000,00

(ONE MILLION, UNITED STATES DOLLARS)

FOR MORE ENQUIRIES AND INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

(MRS LINDA MAY)

THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION

INFORMATION DEPARTMENT ON EMAIL ADDRESS:

lindamay_mtn@yahoo.com

   PLEASE NOTE THAT BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET LOTTERY SCAMS, WE COULD NOT EXPOSE YOUR WINNING DETAILS, SO THAT THE SCAMMERS COULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET YOUR WINNING INFORMATION.

FOR YOUR URGENT CLAIM...

Call MR. DAVID MARAWA 

Proccessing Director

BETTER PROTECTION SA

Phone Number +27 73 627 8899

YOU SHOULD ALSO CONTACT...

...OUR INFORMATION DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY,

SO THAT THEY WILL FURNISH YOU WITH YOUR WINNING NUMBERS, LUCKY DRAW NUMBERS, INSURANCE NUMBERS, REFERENCE AND BATCH NUMBERS, WHICH YOU WILL USE TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE.

YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE THAT

YOUR CLAIM AGENT IS

MR. DAVID MARAWA  BETTER PROTECTION SA

Phone: +27 73 627 8899 

...WE WILL ALSO FURNISH YOU WITH THE FULL DETAILS OF YOUR CLAIM AGENT,  BETTER PROTECTION SA, AS SOON AS YOU RESPOND BY CONTACTING OUR INFORMATION DEPARTMENT OR

CALLING MR. DAVID MARAWA 

+27 73 627 8899

PLEASE DO CALL YOUR CLAIM AGENT NOW.

THIS MESSAGE WAS SENT TO YOU BY:

THE CHAIRMAN, LOTTERY ORGANIZER,

MRS. RICKY WILLIAMS
DIRECTOR OF PROMOTION,
MTN-MEGA-MILLION LOTTERY.

NO.11 CLITON ROAD,4072 P O BOX 106191 NORTH GATE 2805 Johannesburg, South Africa.

MTN-MEGA-MILLION LOTTERY

BRIEF INFORMATION:

There was a computer ballot that was organized by the MTN MEGA-MILLION LOTTERY here in South Africa. It was not an individual lotto playing, but the computer itself picked out from all over the world. 2,000,000 email addresses was selected and picked from the Internet, so those email addresses of Participants that was selected and picked from the internet were again selected through a computer ballot system drawn from among the 2,000,000 email addresses of individuals and companies from all part of the world, this is called the computer ballot.

And 7 email addresses was finally picked out from among the total 2,000,000 email addresses, and out of those 7 email addresses, your email address won on the ballot.

You have to note that this program is being sponsured by the MTN FIFA SUPPORT AFRICAN TEAM, to creat awareness for the coming 2010 world Cup, which is to be host by South Africa.

 

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam