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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:

• 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million 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)
  • "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)
• 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.
  • +27738579499 (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.
  • zolatumelo@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: zolatumleo@UnionPlus.net
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 13:19:27 -0800
Subject: **YOU ARE A SA2010 LOTTERY WINNER*8


SA 2010 Lottery promotion
Johannesburg, South Africa.
From the desk of: Mrs. Rose Dino

Attention,

CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR WINNING
We happily announce to you the draw of South African 2010 World Cup Bid
Lottery Award International programs held in London, Uk,
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: B9665 75604546 199 with
Serial number 97560 drew the winning numbers 60/84/27/17/36, which
Subsequently won you the lottery award in the 2nd category. Your name has
Therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$900.000.00 (nine Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars) in cash credited to file
SA/9030108308/06.
This is from a total cash prize of US $ 30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million
United States Dollars) shared among the lucky winners in this category
World-wide.
Please note that your lucky winning numbers fall within our lottery
Booklet representative office in South Africa as indicate in the play
Coupon. In view of this, your US$900.000.00 (nine Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars) would be released to you through the
Assistance of our Claims agent in South Africa immediately he commence
The process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.
Note that all participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web
Site through computer draw system and extracted from over 100, 000, 00
Companies and individual emails address.
The lottery program took place to promote South Africa's 2010 world
Cup award. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning
Information confidential till your claims are processed and your money
Remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This
Is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and
Unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements.
Please you are advised to file for your claim immediately through our
Agent Mr. Zola Tumelo on email address: zolatumelo@netscape.net or
Telephone number +27-73-857 9499 immediately you received this message with
The following information to enable him process your winnings
1. Full names
2. Address
3. Telephone numbers (cell, office and home)
3. Age
4. Occupation
Please note that you stand a risk of loosing the prize if you fail to claim within
A month from the day you received this notification.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Rose Dino (Zonal coordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam