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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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million 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.
  • claimoficedept_sa@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "worldwide lottery" <world_widelottry@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:01:25 +0000
Subject: Congratulations! Your email address has won USD 820,000.00

Congratulations! Your email address has won USD 820,000.00              

WINNING   NOTIFICATION     Dear:Sir./Madam, We happily announce to you the computer draw of the Euro-Afro-American Sweepstake Lottery International programs held on the 6th March 2007  2005 in Essex United Kingdom.Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: B9564 75604545 188 with! Serial number 97560 drew the winning: 01/10/11/18/19/46, which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$820,000.00 (Eight Hundred and Twenty Thousand United States Dollars) in cash credited to file KPC/9080118308/02.This is from a total cash prize of US $1100,000,00 Million dollars, shared amongst the first One Hundred and thirty (130) luckywinners in this category world-wide. Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our Afro booklet representative office in Africa as indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, your US$820,000.00 (EightHundred and Twenty Thousand United States Dollars)would be released to you by Absa Bank South Africa. Our African agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him. All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draws system and extracted from over 10,000,00 companies. This promotion takes place annually. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements. Please be warned. To file for your claim, please contact our corresponding agent in South Africa immediately you read this message for quick and urgent release of your fund, contact information is as follows: - Claim Agent: Mr Frank Nkosi Email:claimoficedept_sa@yahoo.co.uk Tel : 00 27 73 61 311 03 Please be informed that all winning must be claimed on or before 30th April 2007. To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your reference/batch numbers in any correspondences with our designated agents or us. Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this program that has successfully won this competition. Thank you for being part of our promotional lottery program. Sincerely, Mrs Grace Allen United Kingdom Zonal Co-coordinator.   LAST WINNERS ON EURO AFRO AMERICAN SWEEPTAKE  LOTTERY WEB          Sweepstakes International Program. Copyright © 1994-2005 The UK National Lottery Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Guidelines

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam