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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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:

• 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.
  • +27731751820 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "steve coolzaz" <stevecoolzaz@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:56:31 +0200
Subject: YOUR DETAILS FORWARDED TO OUR PAYING BANK (FROM STEVE COOL)

Dear M. Stanley,

We are in receipt of your mail / Details as requested and we wish to inform
you that all arrangments have been concluded to effect the transfer of your
winnings to your residential/home by bank cheque, once we finish the
verification exercise. Do note that we recently took delivery of the total
winnings from our sponsors.

The funds have been fully insured by this organisation and deposited with
our paying bank through which your funds will be transfered. We will
proccess your clerance and issue same to our paying bank for them to make
the neccessary payment of your prize. The Bank will contact you immediately
we submit your file to them and let you know the next step for the transfer
of your winnings. You do not have to bother yourself is 100% real.

Call the telephone number for more clarification. Note: you are requested to
keep your winnings and informations confidential till you recieve your
prize.Can you try this number 0927737151820,name Steve Cool.

Congratulations ,
Mr Sterve Cool (Claim Agent)
+27-73-175-1820

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam