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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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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")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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.
  • robertnkosi@executivemail.co.za (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: clinton harry <clintonharry_04@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <harryclinton2007@aim.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 13:19:47 +0200
Subject: !!!CONGRATULATIONS!!!YOU HAVE WON


METROPOLITAN LOTTERY S/A
#265 FERIGRAN STREET, PRETORIA
EAST, PRETORIA, 0002 - SOUTH AFRICA.
FROM THE DIRECTOR, PRIZE AWARD
DEPARTMENT.

LUCKYNUMBERS: 06, 13, and 26,33,43,46.
REFNUMBERS: APEX-PF23-711W-9
BATCHNUMBERS: 46-184-WAN.
SERIAL NUMBERS: 215-18 DRAW.

WINNING NOTICE FOR CATEGORY "A"

We are pleased to inform you from METROPOLITAN LOTTERY S.A, of the announcement today 6TH Nov 2007 as one of the lucky winners of The METROPOLITAN LOTTERY SA. Draws held on the 4rd of Nov 2007 as part of our E-business promotional draws end. Participants in the draws were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 2,500,000 email addresses of individuals and companies from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Middle East, as part of our electronic Business Promotions Program.

You qualified for the draw as a result of your visiting various websites we are running the Electronic-business promotions for. You/Your Company email address, attached with REFERENCE NUMBER: APEX-PF23-711W-9, BATCH NUMBER: 46-184-WAN with serial Number 215-18 drew the lucky numbers 06, 13, 26,33,43,46. And consequently won the December 2006 draw, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of total prize US$1,500,000.00 in cash, which is the winning payout for First category winners. This is from the money of US$10,500,000.00 shared among the seven winners in the First category. CONGRATULATIONS!

Your winnings should be claim from our paying Agents. (APEX FINANCE LIMITED) As we have notified them. Due to the mix that may arise from emails of winners and numbers, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program. We hope with a part of your prize, you will participate in our third quarter of year (2007) high stakes US$1.1 billion Universal Lottery. To begin your claim, please contact our paying agent who also will be your claim agent immediately:

DR. ROBERT NKOSI
MANAGER BROKERAGE SERVICE.
APEX FINANCE LIMITED.
Email: (robertnkosi@executivemail.co.za)
TEL: 27-82-269-6743.
FAX: 27-86-515-7889.

For due processing and remittance of your prize money, remember you must contact your claim agent not later than 15TH of November 2007 after this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers provided below in every one of your correspondences with your claims agent. REFERENCE NUMBER: APEX-PF23-711W-9, BATCH NUMBER: 46-184-WAN. Also to begin your Claim sends to your claims agent the following information by email.

1) YOUR BATCH AND REFFERENCE NUMBERS
2) AMOUNT WON.
3) YOUR FULL NAME.
4) YOUR ADDRESS.
5) CONTACT DETAILS, (MOBILE PHONE AND FAX NUMBER).
6) SERIAL NUMBERS.
7) OCCUPATION.
8) AGE.
9) DATE.

Congratulations once again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program.
Sincerely,
Mr Clinton Harry

N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification to avoid double claiming.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam