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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +27739136311 (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.
  • goldreefclaim@webmail.co.za (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: goldreeflottery@webmail.co.za
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 11:56:42 +0200
Subject: Lottery Winning Notification

Attention;Winner

RE/ AWARD NOTIFICATION; FINAL NOTICE

We wish to inform you of the lottery draws held 17th of
Oct,2005 to declare the winners of the GOLDREEF LOTTO
SOUTH AFRICA/INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS.

Your address, attached to ticket number
356-00098-3211-222, with
serialnumber 818-09 drew the lucky numbers
14-41-25-19-49-37, and
consequently won the lottery. You have therefore been
approved for a lump sum pay out of RANDS 14,000,000.00
in cash Equivalent USD $2,000,000,00 credited to file
REF NO: ZAR/23457677/2005. This is from total prize
money of RANDS 154,000,000.00 shared among the eleven
international winners in this category. All
participants were selected through a computer ballot
system drawn from 17,000 names from Australia, New
Zealand, America, Europe and Middle East and Asia as
part of our International Promotions Program, which is
conducted monthly.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your fund is now available for claim. Due to the mix
up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep
this award strictly from public notice until your
claim has been processed and your money remitted to
your account. This is part of our security protocol to
avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by
participants of this promotion. We hope with a part of
you prize, you will participate in our end of year
high stakes ZAR 60,000,000 Million International
Lottery.

TO BEGIN YOUR CLAIM, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CLAIM AGENT
THROUGH THIS EMAIL ADDRESS
MR.JEFFREY BONGANI
CLAIMS DEPARTMENT,
FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER,
GOLDREEFLOTTO DURBAN, KWAZULU NATAL
SOUTH AFRICA.
TEL:+27-73-913-6311.
EMAIL: goldreefclaim@webmail.co.za


For due processing and remittance of your prize money
to a designated account of your choice. Remember, all
prize money must be claimed not later than Two Weeks
after notice. After this date, all funds will be
returned as unclaimed.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and
complications, please remember to quote your reference
and batch numbers in every one of your correspondences
with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any
change of your address, do inform your claims agent as
soon as possible.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you
for being part of our promotions program.

Sincerely,

MARY VAN DER KLINKHEN
PROMOTIONS MANAGER




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam