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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.

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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
• 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.
  • +447024055391 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • rev_randysmith@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: South Australian Lottery Promo <south_aus1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <rev_randysmith@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 14:38:01 +0100
Subject: NOTIFICATION OF WINNING: YOU HAVE WON.


SOUTH AUSTRALIA LOTTERIES
23 RUNDLE MALL, ADELAIDE, SOUTH
AUSTRALIA.SOUTH AUSTRALIA LOTTERIES
IS AN AFFILIATE OF LONDON SUBSCRIBER
AGENTS HEADQUARTERS AT. 10 BEDFORD
STREET WC2E 9HE,LONDON UK. FROM:
MISS MARGARET BANKS(LOTTERY COORDINATOR)

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU OF THE RESULT OF THE SOUTH AUSTRALIA
LOTTERIES WINNERS INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS HELD ON THE 4TH, JUNE 2007.
YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS ATTACHED TO TICKET #: 00903228100 WITH PRIZE #
778009/UK DREW $850,000.00-DOLLARS WHICH WAS FIRST IN THE 2ND CLASS OF
THE DRAWS. YOU ARE TO RECEIVE $850,000.00 (EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY
THOUSAND DOLLARS). BECAUSE OF MIX UP IN CASH PAYOUTS, WE ASK THAT YOU
KEEP YOUR WINNING INFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL UNTIL YOUR MONEY
($850,000.00-DOLLARS) HAS BEEN FULLY REMITTED TO YOU BY OUR ACCREDITED
PAY-POINT BANK. THIS MEASURE MUST BE ADHERING TO AVOID LOSS OF YOUR
CASH PRIZE. WINNERS OF OUR CASH PRIZES ARE ADVISED TO ADHERE TO THESE
INSTRUCTIONS TO FORESTALL THE ABUSE OF THIS PROGRAM BY OTHER
PARTICIPANTS.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THESE DRAWS WERE CONDUCTED FORMALLY, AND
WINNERS ARE SELECTED THROUGH AN INTERNET BALLOT SYSTEM FROM 60,000
INDIVIDUAL AND COMPANIES E-MAIL ADDRESSES - THE DRAWS ARE CONDUCTED
AROUND THE WORLD THROUGH OUR INTERNET BASED BALLOT SYSTEM. THE
PROMOTION IS SPONSORED AND PROMOTED BY SOUTH AUSTRALIA LOTTERIES. WE
CONGRATULATE YOU ONCE AGAIN. WE HOPE YOU WILL USE PART OF IT IN OUR
NEXT DRAWS; THE JACKPOT WINNING IS $85MILLION. REMEMBER, ALL WINNING
MUST BE CLAIMED NOT LATER THAN 20 DAYS.

AFTER THIS DATE ALL UNCLAIMED CASH PRIZE WILL BE FORFEITED AND INCLUDED
IN THE NEXT SWEEPSTAKE. PLEASE, IN ORDER TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DELAYS
AND COMPLICATIONS REMEMBER TO QUOTE PERSONAL AND WINNING NUMBERS IN ALL
CORRESPONDENCE WITH US. CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN FROM ALL MEMBERS OF
SOUTH AUSTRALIA LOTTERIES. THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF OUR PROMOTIONAL
PROGRAM. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR CASH PRIZE KINDLY FILL THE FORM
BELLOW AND SEND IT TO OUR LONDON AGENTS, E-MAIL:
REV_RANDYSMITH@YAHOO.COM.HK FOR DIRECT CONVERSATION,
PHONE:+4470-2405-5391 OR +4470-2403-6619.

SECTION: A PERSONAL DATA

SURNAME NAME:........FIRST NAME:......MIDDLE
NAME:..................

FULL HOUSS ADDRESS:.........................

CITY/STATE:.................................

COUNTRY:....................................

ZIP CODE:...................................

DATE OF BIRTH:DAY:...MOUNTH:......YEAR:.....

SEX GENDER:........MARITAL STATUS:..........

OCCUPATION:.................................

MOBILE PHONE NUMBER:........................

HOUSE PHONE NUMBER:.........................

NEXT OF KIN:................................

SECTION: B WINNING INFORMATION

LOTTERY AMOUNT WON IN FIGURE:...............

LOTTERY AMOUNT WON IN WORDS:................

TICKET:.......... WITH PRIZE #:.............

WINNING E-MAIL ADDRESS:..............LOTTERY
WINNING DATE..........................

CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN.
YOURS IN SERVICE,
MISS. MARGARET BANKS.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam