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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
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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  • +27838606061 (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.
  • smith_morgan06@yahoo.co.uk
  • oldmutualplc@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Jane" <mrsjane_mazuluu@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: mrsjane_mazulu@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 17:53:47 +0200
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION

FROM THE DESK OF THE PROMOTION MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION AWARD DEPARTMENT.


Date: 06/03/06,
Ref No: 475061725,
Batch No: 7056490902/188,
Winning No: GB8701/LPRC

CONGRATULATIONS.

Sir/Madam, We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 06/03/2006 from the Australian International Lottery program. Your name was attached to ticket number: 4706172507/056490902, serial numbers 7741137002,06/03/06. 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$1,000,000.00(ONE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS) in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/02 from the total cash prize of US16, 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 promotion 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 European representative office in Amsterdam, Holland. As indicated in your play coupon and your prize of US$1,000,000.00 will be released to you from our regional branch office in South Africa. We hope with part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year high stakes for US$1.3 Billion international draw.

Please do contact: Name: Mr. Smith Morgan.
Email: smith_morgan06@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +27-83-860-6061.
Fax: +27-21-421-8501.

Or through our office address:
Address: 3RD floor, D Block
Mutual park Jan Smuts Drive,
Pinelands 7405. South Africa.
Email: oldmutualplc@netscape.net
www.oldmutual.com

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 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 within a month of your notification, otherwise all funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually donated to charity. Congratulations once again on your winnings!

Best Regards,

Jane Mazulu. (Co-ordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam