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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
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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:

• 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.
  • claimsdepartment@mailbox.co.za
  • nationallotto@mailbox.co.za

Fraud email example:

From: sanationallotto@workmail.co.za
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 01:50:12 +0200
Subject: CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY

" NATIONAL LOTTO,
0777 SANDTON TOWERS,SANDTON ,JOHANNESBURG,SOUTH AFRICA

FROM: PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT


REF: ZAR/222/2006
BATCH: 700/000/slw

Your email address, attached to ticket number 4400-23400998-865, with serial
number 44401 drew the lucky numbers 299932555741711, and consequently won
the lottery. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of
ZAR15,000,000.00 in cash credited to file REF NO: ZAR/222/2006.

Your fund is now available for claim. Due to the mix up of some numbers and
email address, 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 ZAR100,000,000 Million International Lottery.

To begin your claim, please contact our claim manager;
CLAIMS MANAGER,
John Nkosi,
NATIONAL LOTTO,
JOHANNESBURG
EMAIL: claimsdepartment@mailbox.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 our manager. Furthermore, should there be any change
of your address, do inform your claims manager as soon as possible.
Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of
our promotions program.

Sincerely,
Anthony Martin
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
EMAIL:nationallotto@mailbox.co.za
NATIONAL LOTTO/INTERNATIONAL PROMTIONS
***"YOUR CHANCE TO WIN BIG
--

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam