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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "flash fortune lottery"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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.
  • +27735272746 (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.
  • @yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "customers ticket" <customers_ticket02@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 10:27:56 +0100
Subject: FROM: MRS CINDY JOHNSON

FROM: MRS CINDY JOHNSON THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER, FLASH FORTUNE LOTTERY. 2nd Floor SABC Radio Park Building P.O. Box 91711, Auckland Park, 2006 Henley Road. Johannesburg, South Africa.                             CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR WINNING: We happily announce to you the draw of South African 2010 World cup Bid Lottery Award International programs held in Zurich, Switzerland. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: (B343-221-8756) with! Serial number ( 454-17) drew the winning: (3, 8, 13, 22, 27, 41)Bonus Number 12, which subsequently on you the lottery award in the 3rd category. Your name has therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$2.000.000.00 (Two million United States Dollars) in cash credited to file (KPC/9030108308/03). This is from a total cash prize of US$200.000.000.00  (Two Hundred Million Dollars), shared among the first 100 Hundred and lucky winners in this category worldwide. Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our lottery booklet representative office in South Africa as indicate in the play coupon. In view of this, your US$2.000.000.00 (Two Million United States Dollars) would be released to you as soon as you coperate with your local agnet by sending all your details as stated below.   All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draw system and extracted from over (100,000) companies and individual emails address. The lottery program took place to promote South Africa (2010 world Cup Award).  For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims are processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize, This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted Abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements.                            (PLEASED BE WARNED) To file for your claim, please contact our cliam agent  immediately, you read this message for quick and urgent release of your fund, his contact information is as! Name: MR. MORGAN SCOTT E-mail: morganscott_claimagent00@yahoo.com Tel: +27-73-527-2746   Provide him with the information below: 1.Name:................................................. 2.Address:............................................. 3.Marital Status:.................................... 4.Occupation:........................................ 5.Age:.................................................... 6.Sex:.................................................... 7.Nationality:.......................................... 8.Residence:.......................................... 9.Telephone Number:............................. 10.Fax Number:...................................... 11 Winning Number:................................ 12. Ref. Number:..................................... 13. Serial Number:.................................. 14. Amount Worn:.................................... 15. Batch Number:...................................   In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference/ batch numbers to your agent/officer. Furthermore, should there be any change of  address, do inform your claim officer as soon as possible. Please be informed that all winning must be claimed on or before 30 days of this Notification. To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your Reference / Batch Numbers in any correspondences with us or our designated Agent. Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this program that has successfully won this competition. Thank you for being part of our promotional lottery program. Signed: EX-President Nelson Mandela (Chairman)   Albert MOKOENA: Chief Operations Officer   Danny JORDAAN: Chief Executive Officer   South Africa will be the first African country to host the World Cup NOTE:Fifa has named the 10 stadiums which will host the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The stadiums will be located in nine cities around the YOURS TRULY MRS CINDY JOHNSON,

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam