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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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• 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:

• 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:
  • "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 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.
  • +27785833317 (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.
  • dr_benjames_sa@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3adr_benjames_sa@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "sa lottery" <sapromotion.loto.03@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:29:19 -0700
Subject: CONGRATULATION!! YOU HAVE WON $500,000,00 Dollars


*FROM NATIONAL LOTTERY HEADQUARTER
SOUTH AFRICAN 2010 WORLD CUP LOTTERY AWARD.
LOTTERY HEADQUARTERS: 31, BRITON COURT,
KEMPSTON PARK, JHB.
BATCH: (13/26/DC36.)*
*FROM: SA NATIONAL LOTTERY
TICKET NUMBER: 74454774
SERIAL NUMBER: 144-66584 *
*BATCH NUMBER: BT-4478474121P*
* *
* DRAWS NUMBERS:* * AWARD FINAL
NOTIFICATION:*
**

*We are pleased to inform you of the release, of the long awaited results of
the South African 2010 World cup Bid award INTERNANTIONAL LOTTERY PROMOTION
held in Zurich, Switzerland on the 2ND OF JUNE 2008.You were entered as
dependent clients with: Reference SERIAL NUMBER: 144-66584 and Batch number
BT-4478474121P.**Your email address attached to the ticket number: 74454774
that drew the lucky winning number, which consequently won the sweepstake in
the first category,in four parts. You have been approved for a payment of
$500.000,00 Dollars ( Five hundred thousand United S tates Dollars )in cash
credited to file reference number:IPL/4249859609/WP1.This is from a total
cash prize of five million Dollars shared among the ten international
winners in first categories.*
* AWARD FINAL NOTIFICATION*

*All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from
500,000,00 (Fifty thousand) names of email users around the world, as part
of our international promotion program. Due to mixed up of some names and
addresses, we ask that you keep this award personal, till your claims has
been processed and your funds remitted to you. This is part of our security
measures to avoid double claiming or unwarranted taking advantage of the
situation by other participants or impersonators, You are therefore directed
to contact our bank manager immediately on receipt of this massage for
quickened and urgent release of your wining fund. His contact **information
is as follows:*
**
*NAME: MR ben james .
TEL: +27 785833317
EMAIL:dr_benjames_sa@hotmail.com<http://us.mc463.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?toAIL%3Adr_benjames_sa@hotmail.com>
*
**
*He is your agent, and responsible for the processing and transfer of your
winnings to you. YOUR SECURITY FILE NUMBER IS Z-90237-Y67/U4 (keep personal)
*
**
*Once again, Congratulations.*

*Yours Sincerely,*
**
** **
*MR, john kruma*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam