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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "fifa world cup lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "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.
  • smiththew05@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: smiththew03@yahoo.com
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:06:35 +0200
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION!!!


WINNING NOTIFICATION!!!
EURO=AFRO=AMERICAN=LOTTERY
INTERNATIONAL=PROMOTION =SWITZERLAND
SOUTH AFRICAN2010 FIFA WORLD CUP LOTTERY
BUNDERSTRASSE 33
3324 BERN ECK,SWITZERLAND

WINNING NOTIFICATION
Dear Sir/Madam,

Congratulations your email is among the seven lucky winners, that won
US$1.200,000.00 {One Million Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars}
Each in the just concluded draw held to promote South African 2010 World
Cup,sponsored by fifa. For prize claiming,Call your claim agent Barrester
Smith. on this phone number 27 730789689 or email him on Email:
smiththew05@yahoo.com and also provide the following information for the
processing of your winning fund.
NAME:..................
ADDRESS:.................
NATIONALITY:.................. ....
SEX:..................
AGE:................
PHONE/MOBILE:................. .........
FAX:.......................... .........
OCCUPATION:.................. .........
COMPANY:......................
Your Winning Reference Number is: FLS-ZR39-825P-4 Batch Number: 74-263-BBN.
TICKET NUMBER:B9665 75604546 199
SERAIL NUMBER:97560
WINNING NUMBERS:11,13,26,34,44,48,02
Please you are to choose your payment option at which you want your fund
Paid to you; listed below is our payment modalities and option of payment.
(1) TRAVELLING DOWN HERE TO SOUTH AFRICA FOR COLLECTION OF YOUR PRIZE
(2) ELECTRONIC WIRE TRANSFER:..................... .................
For further confirmation Please call DPU office at TEL: 27-730789689



Mrs. Sandra Nzama.
[Zonal Coordinator]

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam