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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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• 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:

• 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:
  • "deadline" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +27730632225 (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.
  • jose_sw05@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: josw_sw05@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 13:35:08 +0200
Subject: LOTERIA’ INTERNATIONALE

ATTENTION: ,
This is to inform you that upon verification, your prize claim is certified true. You are therefore entitled to the prize claim of US$1.950M (One Million Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars).

You are required to come down to South Africa, to sign across the counter personally to claim your prize money on or before the stipulated deadline of May 30, 2006 with the following documents:
1) Personal identification document/ sworn affidavit
2) A copy of notification letter from the lottery company.
3) Official notarization
4) Gambling payout permit

In the event that you are unable to fly down to South Africa, you are henceforth advice to contact our accredited financial legal adviser who will be your legal representative and signing of the necessary documentation for the facilitating of your claim. As such they are required to furnish our office with the above-mentioned legal documents before we can permit their brief of crediting you with your prize win.
This is the Attorneys contact. NAME: JOHN SIMTH
TEL:+27-73-063-2225
EMAIL: JOSE_SW05@YAHOO.COM

Sincerely,
JOSE MIUGEL PEREZ
VICE PRESIDENT

NB PLEASE GET BACK TO ME IF CONTACT HIM

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam