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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 united state 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)
  • "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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +27744463868 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: williamsmith2010bid@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:10:23 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS

SOUTH AFRICA 2010 WORLD CUP BENEFICIARIES NO... WWEW2RRRR990
Dear Lucky Winner
We are please to announce and inform you that you are the lucky winner of a house
in sea point cape town south africa valued at $1.4 million united state dollars, OR $1.4 million Dollars in cash AS EQUIVALENT.
Your email address was one of the winning address picked in a computer ballot of
frequent email users in the second category sponsored by (FIFA),C.A.F. ,GTE, ABSA, OLD MUTUAL,AFRICA UNION,and many more bodies.
Metropolitan life for the 2010 world cup in south africa.This also guaranteed you a free ticket to watch the soccar world cup from the opening ceremony till the end of the tournament.
You are therefore informed to contact the claim officer Mr.William Smith immidiately
to claim your prices immidiately on this phone number.
+27-744463868
Congratulation as we expect you to claim your price as soon as possible ,
All price not claimed before the expiration date will be donated and shared amongst the various charity organisation in south africa .
Many people have lost their winning prices out of total negligence.So hurry up and claim your winning price.
Yours sincerely
Cindy Santos
24 07 2007
NB keep all your information intact untill your price is released to you as mistakes and double
payment can not be rectified.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam