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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (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 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.
  • +27739967720 (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.
  • richardowen70@yahoo.com
  • richardowen70@excite.com

Fraud email example:

From: "lotto board" <lotto_board236@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 12:10:35 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS NO YOUR WINNING PRIZE:

SOUTH AFRICA 2010 WORLD
CUP LIVE LOTTO DRAW
FROM: EURO,AFRI, AMERICAN,
LOTTERY BOARD PROMOTION
SWITZERLAND. FROM THE DESK
OF: MR. RICHARD OWEN.


ATTN: CEO,
CONGRATULATIONS NO YOUR WINNING PRIZE:

We happily announce to you the draw of South African 2010 World cup Bid
lottery Award International programs held in Zurich, Switzerland. Your
e-mail address attached to REFERENCE NO: GML-S343-KKT-8811 and BATCH NO:
draw the winning: 60/84/27/17/36, which subsequently won you the lottery
award in the 1st category. Your name has therefore been approved to claim a
total sum of $2,000.000.00 (TWO MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS) in cash
credited to file
KPC/9030108308/03. This is from a total cash prize of $20,000,000.00 (TWENTY
MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS) shared among the first 10 lucky winners in
different categories worldwide.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our lottery booklet
representative office in South Africa as indicate in the play coupon. In
view of this, your $ 2,000.000 (Two Million United States Dollars) would be
released to you through the assistance of our agent in South Africa
immediately he commences the process to facilitate the release of your funds
as soon as you contacted him.

All participants were selected randomly from Worldwide 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 Claim
agent Manager (RICHARD OWEN)
immediately:

MR RICHARD OWEN
FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER,
LOTTEY BOARD.
JOHANNESBURG, S.A
TEL: +27 739967720
EMAIL; richardowen70@yahoo.com OR richardowen70@excite.com

you received this message because you stand a risk of
loosing the prize if you fail to claim within a month from
the day you received this notification. His e-mail address
is: richardowen70@yahoo.comPlease call him on:
+27-739967720,
to received your wining prize $2,000.000.00 United States
Dollars, In Cash.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam