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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims 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.
  • +27762692933 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: uthingolotteryhouse2@unionplus.net
Date: Fri, 05 May 2006 01:33:22 +0200
Subject: NOTIFICATION OF YOUR LOTTO WINNING

NOTIFICATION OF YOUR LOTTO WINNING

We are pleased to inform you from UTHINGO NATIONAL LOTTERY. of the Lottery Held on 28th of April 2006 which your e mail address happens to, be One of our category (A) winner, from the anouncement today 4th of May,2006 as one of our lucky winners of the UTHINGO NATIONAL LOTTERY draws. Participants in the draws were selected through a computer ballot System drawn from 2,500,000 e-mail addresses of individuals and Companies from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle East and New Zealand as part of our electronic business Promotions Program.

You are qualified for the draw as a result of you visiting various Websites we are running the Electronic-business promotions for You/Your Company e-mail address, attached with REFERENCE NUMBER: ZAR 23457677/2006 BATCH NUMBER: 79-124-WAN with serial number 818-09 drew The lucky numbers 7-8-40-15-3-49 and consequently won our lottery. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$2,200,000.00 In cash, this is the winning payout for First category Winners.

This is From the total prize money of US$15.5 Million shared among the winners In the First category.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your winnings should be claimed from our paying Agents. (Bellairs Finance & Security Limited) as we have notified them. Due to the mix-up that may arise from emails of winners and numbers we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program.

To begin your claim, please contact our paying agent/company who also Will be your claims agent.
ROLAND THABO
CLAIMS MANAGER
BELLAIRS FINANCE & SECURITY LIMITED.
AUCKLAND-PARK,
SOUTH AFRICA
TEL: +27-76 269 2933
FAX: +27-72 013 3439
EMAIL:claimsdepartment2@bellairsfinance.org

For due processing and remittance of your prize money, you are to contact your claims agent not later than two weeks after notification.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 provided below in every one of your correspondences with your claims agent.
REFERENCE NUMBER: ZAR 23457677/2006 BATCH NUMBER: 79-124-WAN SERIAL NUMBER: 818-09 Also to begin your Claim send to your claims agent the Following information.

1) BATCH AND REFFERENCE NUMBERS
2) FULL NAMES
3) MAILING ADDRESS
4) PHONE AND FAX NUMBERS
5) AMOUNT WON.
6) AGE

Congratulations.

Sincerely,

THE CLAIMS MANAGER,
UTHINGO NATIONAL LOTTERY SOUTH AFRICA.
Auckland-park,
SOUTH AFRICA.

N.B.You are obliged to donate 10% of your claim to a Charity
organization in South Africa, Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification.
Please do not reply to this mail, Contact your claims agent

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam