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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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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:
  • "deadline" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "international remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • +27784273089 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
  • +27866645770 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: FIRST NATIONAL BANK PAYOUT <fnbpayout@accountant.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:03:33 +0200
Subject: FIRST NATIONAL BANK



CONFIDENTIAL MEMOOctober 26th, 2007Reference Code: 994X7864JGAttn: P.V.Balakrishnan

PAYMENT ADVICE ON USD$2,780,000.00 (TWO MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) VIDE TICKET NO: 7PWYZ2007 –REF NO:7PWYZ2007 AND BALLOT NO:BT:12052007/20. We are the Paying Agent for the Lottery Organization here in South Africa and the Unit of this Payment Processing Center has verified the existence of your claim fund with the Lotto Company’s Account and the purpose of the exercise is to release the fund to you.Having carefully studied, and duly verified the relevant documents of claims as submitted in this Department, by our client FIFA ORGANISATION vide the total sum USD$2,780,000.00 as referenced above, we are happy and obliged to inform you that the said sum has been cleared for transfer. With every due respect, we bring to your notice the procedures in which you should abide to, in order for your Prize Won to be processed in accordance with the prescribed Laws, Regulations and Policies of the Lottery Commission/Board. You are expected to choose from our options, which you feel will suite you as regards the process of facilitating the claiming of your Prize Won. Firstly, You are requested to come down to South Africa personally to process your prize claim before the expiration of the claims deadline for payout as there are certain documentation which needs to be procured from the South Africa High Court Justice Department and South Africa Revenue Services on your name as the Bonafide Winner of this lottery.Secondly, If you are "unable" to come down South Africa to process your claim personally you will only be required to pay the sum of US$2,250.00 (Two Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars) to our Legal Representative who shall act and represent you on your behalf to facilitate all the needful regarding your claim prize to your best interest and benefit. However, if the second option suit you, kindly send to us a copy of your International Passport or Driver’s License to enable the representative notarized your Identification at the Gaming Commission here as the true Beneficiary of the fund before we can process your payment.The representative of this organization shall be the right person that will acquire the required documents from the necessary authorities that shall be presented to the South Africa Gaming Commission/Board in your favor. In this while, you have been given One Week to claim your Prize Won; otherwise the fund will be return back to LOTTERY ORGANISATION Account as unclaimed funds. We also want to inform you that we have no right to deduct any sum from your entitlement,as we are only Paying Agent to LOTTERY PROMO ORGANISATION. You are also required to furnish us with your direct telephone and fax numbers, to enable us contact you via that means as well. Yours Sincerely,Mr. Albert O. LoyisoDirect Tel:+27 78 427 3089Fax : +27 86 664 5770Email:fnbpayout@accountant.comInternational Remittance Departmentsp/Nb This e-mail, its attachments and any rights attaching hereto are, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the property of First NationalBank Group Limited and/orits subsidiaries ("the Group"). It is confidential, private and intended for the addressee only.Should you not be the addressee and receive this e-mail by mistake, kindly notify the sender, and delete this e-mail, immediately and do not disclose or use same in any manner whatsoever. Views and opinions expressed in this e-mail are those of the sender unless clearly stated as those of the Group. The Group accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss or damages whatsoever and howsoever incurred,or suffered, resulting, or arising, from the use of this email or itsattachments.The Group does not warrant the integrity of this e-mail nor that it is free of errors,viruses,interception or interference
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam