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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")
• 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.
  • +27737661096 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "OLDMUTUAL LOTTERY" <oldmutuallottery01@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 04 Feb 2006 02:56:07 -0900
Subject: CLAIM YOUR PRICE (Australian International Lottery program)

FROM THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS AWARD
DEPARTMENT.


Ref: 475061725,
Batch: 7056490902/188,
Winning No: 5-13-33-37-42 bonus number 17



CONGRATULATIONS!!! SIR/MADAM,

We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 15th December
2005 from the Australian International Lottery program.

Your name and your e-mail was attached to ticket number; 47061725
07056490902 serial number 7741137002. This batch draws the lucky numbers as
follows 5-13-33-37-42 bonus number 17, which consequently won the lottery in
the second category. You hereby have been approved lump sum pay of
US$2,000,000.00 (TWO MILLION DOLLARS) in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW
47509/02 from the total cash prize of US$32,000,000.00 shared amongst
sixteen lucky winners, based on their category.

All participants were selected through a computer balloting system drawn
form Nine hundred thousand names from Canada, Australia, United States,
Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceanic as part of our international
promotions program which is conducted annually. This Lottery was promoted
and sponsored by some multinational companies as part of their social
responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have
operational base.

Further more your name falls within our Africa representative office in
Johannesburg, South Africa. As indicated in your play coupon and your prize
of US$2,000,000.00 will be released to you from this regional branch office
in Johannesburg. We hope with part of your prize, you will participate in
our 2006 end of year high stakes for US$1.3 Billion international draw.

To begin your claim, please contact your claim agent;

Name: MR. ARTHUR ROSSMAN
Tel: +2773-766-1096
Fax: +2711-643-3100
Office Address: Mutualpark
Jan Smuts Drive
Pinelands 7405
South Africa

Please quote your reference, batch and winning number, which can be found on
the top left corner of this notification as well as your full names and
address, email address, telephone and fax numbers to help locate your file
easily. For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information
confidential from the public until your claim is processed and your prize
released to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid dual
claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this program by non-participant
or unofficial personnel.


Note, all winnings MUST be claimed with a specified date; otherwise all
funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually donated to charity,
Congratulations once again on your winnings!

Best Regards,
JOY RICHARDSON
(Coordinator)

N.B. Anybody under the age of 18 cannot participate in this program and any
breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to
disqualification

Please do not reply to this mail. Contact your claim agent.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam