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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:
  • "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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • +27849045471 (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.
  • mzamonkosi@aol.com

Fraud email example:

From: katevelma@aol.com
Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2007 17:46:57 +0200
Subject: From Kate Velma

LOTTERY AWARD
PROMOTIONALPROGRAMME




From: Mrs Kate Velma
1550 Princess Street Kingston, ON, Canada, K7M 9E3.
Canada Lottery-Soccer World Cup 2010 Promotional Draw:-


Attention:Customer AFRSA680
Ref: EAAL/851OYHI/05
Batch No. Lotto 6/49

WINNING INFORMATION

The Canadian Government sponsors this lottery for the promotion of the
2010 Soccer World cup to be hosted in South Africa. We happily announce
to you the draw of the Euro-Afro-American Sweepstake Lottery
International Programs held on 30th of March 2007 in Essex United
Kingdom
and Ontario Canada. Your e-mail address attached to Ticket Number:
B9564 75604545 100, with Serial Number 46563760 drew the winning
numbers
4/6/8/12/34/38 with a bonus Number 14, for LOTTO 6/49 under the choice
of
the lottery in the 2nd category of daily three.

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 EAAL/9080118308/05. This is from a total cash prize of
US
$11,100,000.00 Million dollars, shared amongst the first One Hundred
and-thirty (130) lucky winners in this category Worldwide. Please note
that your lucky winning number falls within our Afro booklet
representative office in Africa as indicated in your play coupon,
because this
particular draw was selected to promote the 2010 World Cup to be hosted
in
South Africa hence your winning information must be kept to enable you
participate in our subsequent draws which will see 500 participants
traveling on an all expense paid trip to South Africa for the Soccer
World
Cup 2010.

In view of this, your US$820,000.00 (Eight Hundred and Twenty
Thousand
United States Dollars) would be released to you by an accredited
commercial Bank in South Africa. Our African agent will immediately
commence
the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you
contact our African Agent's office. All participants were selected
randomly
from World Wide Web site through computer draws system and extracted
from over 10,000,00 companies and personal e-mails.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims are Processed and your money remitted to
you in whatever manner you deem fit. This is part of our precautionary
measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program
by 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, on the Below contact informations:-

Contact person: Barrister Mzamo Nkosi
Email: mzamonkosi@aol.com
Telephone: +27-84-904-5471

To avoid unnecessary delays and Complications, please quote your
reference numbers in any correspondences with our designated Agents.
Congratulations! Once more from all members and staff of this program
that has
ensured that you won this competition. Thank you for being part of our
Promotional Lottery program.

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs Kate Velma
Promotion Manager.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam