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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.
• 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.
  • +27734007772 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
  • +27837562756 (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.
  • lotterycommunication@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Elizabeth Wynn" <bethwynnuk1@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2006 06:56:05 +0000
Subject: From Mrs. Elizabeth Wynn (UK)

British Afric Lottery Headquarters:
CustomerService
33 YATCH BASIN MARINA OFFICES,
UPON TYNE NEWCASTLE LONDON.

Batch: 14/211/0374
Ref: BTL/311OXI/02

CONGRATULATIONS:


We happily announce to you the draw (#974) of the British Afric Lottery
International
programs held on the 3rd of Match 2006 in London.Your e-mail address
attached to ticket number: 694 75600545 721 with Serial number 5368/02 drew
the lucky numbers: 03. 08. 25. 29. 31. 43. [23] Bonus Ball, which
subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category.You are therefore, been
approved to claim a total sum of &pound;2,500,000.00 (Two million, five
hundred thousand, Pounds) in cash. This is from a total cash prize of
&pound;125 Million pounds , shared amongst the first
Fifty (50) lucky winners in this category.

This year Lottery Program Jackpot is the largest ever for British Afric
Lottery.The estimated &pound;125 million jackpot would be the sixth-biggest
in U.K. history. The biggest was the &pound;363 million jackpot that went to
two winners in May 2000 drawing of The Big Game, Mega Millions'predecessor.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our British Afric
booklet representative office in Johannes Burg as indicated in our play
coupon. In view of this, your &pound;2,500,000.00 (Two million, five hundred
thousand,pounds) would be released to you by our affiliate bank in Johannes
Burg. Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the
release of your funds to you as soon as you make contact with him,All
participants were selected randomly from World Wide Website through
computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000
companies.

This promotion takes place annually.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 a 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 fiduciary agent with the
below details for processing of your claims.

Overseas Claims Unit
British Afric Lottery Verification Agent Officer
Contact Person: Mr. Edward Answer
Tel : +27-837- 562-756 Fax :+27-734-007-772
Email: lotterycommunication@yahoo.co.uk

Yours faithfully,
Mrs Elizabeth Wynn
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY, Sweepstakes International Program.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam