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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:
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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.
• 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.
  • +27734898526 (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.
  • canadaloto2010@canada.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • agentjohnthomson@canada.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "CANADA LOTTERY" <canadaloto2010@canada.com> (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 09:48:01 +0200
Subject: YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS JUST WON

Email: canadaloto2010@canada.com
Customer Service: 1000 AAA 2006
Ref: SOUTHAFRICA2010LOTO
Batch No: Lotto 6/49
Draw Coupon: Match 1+NS
WINNING NOTIFICATION
We happily announce to you the draw of the Euro-Afro- American Sweepstake Lottery International programs held Sat., October 7, 2006 in Johannesburg South Africa. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: SA2006/67421 with Serial number 4500 drew the Winning numbers 15/20/33/37/39/45 with a bonus Number 13, for LOTTO 6/49 under the choice of the lottery in the 1st category. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$ 989,430.00 (Nine Hundred and Eighty Nine Thousand Four Hundred and Thirty United States Dollars) in cash credited to file CASA/218334205687/06.
This is from a total cash prize of US$2,968,290.00 Million dollars, shared amongst the 3 lucky winners in this category Worldwide. Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our Afro booklet representative office in Africa as indicated in your play coupon, because this particular draw was selected to promote the 2010 World Cup to be Hosted in South Africa hence your winning information must be kept to enable you participate in our subsequent games before the grand finale.
In view of this, your US$ 989,430.00 (Nine Hundred and Eighty Nine Thousand Four Hundred and Thirty United States Dollars) would be released to you by an accredited commercial Bank in South Africa. Our African agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.
All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draws system and extracted from over 100,000,00 companies and personal e-mails. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims is 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.
PLEASE BE WARNED.
To file for your claim, please contact our corresponding agent in South Africa immediately you read this message on the contact information below:
John Thomson
(Claims Agent)
Email:
agentjohnthomson@canada.com <mailto:agentjohnthomson@canada.com>
+27 73 489 8526
Warm Regards,
MR DARLINGTON DESMOND
Promotion Manager

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam