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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:
  • "fiduciary 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.
  • +27836703988 (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.
  • georgeumlazi@galmail.co.za (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: lotteryboard122@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 15:05:33 +0200
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION

MR. WALELE DIDI
SOUTH AFRICA LOTTO HEADQUARTER:
THE MARINA OFFICES,
JOHANNESBURG ,
SOUTH AFRICA

Customer Service
Ref: SA/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

WINNING NOTIFICATION:
Attn; Attn;Sir/Madam,

We happily announce to you the draw (#998) of the SOUTH AFRICA NATIONAL LOTTERY, online Sweepstakes International program held eight days from the day of notice in JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 Bonus Ball, which subsequently won you the lottery in the 1st category i.e match 6,jackpot.You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of GDP $1,200,000.00 (One Million, Two Hundred Thousand Pound) in cash, credited to file ktu/9023118308/03. This is from a total cash prize of GBP 11,000,000.00 Pounds shared amongst the first five (5) lucky winners in this category.

All participants for this online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online.
This promotion takes place weekly. Please note that your lucky winning falls within our European and African booklet representative office in South Africa as indicated in your play
coupon. In view of this, your GBP $1,2 milliom. ( one million two hundred pounds) will be released to you by any of our payment offices in Africa or Europe.

We shall immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact the manager on the details below.

NAME: MR GEORGE UMLAZI
PHONE: +27-83-6703988
EMAIL:georgeumlazi@galmail.co.za


For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to receive your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned!!
To file for your claim, contact our fiduciary agent:

yours faithfully,

MR. WALELE DIDI

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam