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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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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)
  • ",000,000" (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.
  • +447045722131 (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.
  • gordonsmith967@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: <welfarelotto_info@sawubona.co.za>
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 16:34:28 -0400
Subject: Congratulations!!! (Your Email ID Won)

REF NO :GTG333714264511
BATCH NO :14/111/GTG

Dear Winner,

                                                      WINNING NOTIFICATION
                                
We gladly announce to you the draw of the WELFARE LOTTERY,online International program held on the, 28TH of MAY, 2007.Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 000-1416-4612-222 with Serial number 53-68-05,which subsequently won you the lottery in category A.You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$20,000,000,00 (Twenty Million United States Dollars) in cash credited to file REF NO :GTG333714264511. This is from a total cash prize of US$100,000,000.00(One Hundred Million United States Dollars)shared amongst the FIVE (5 )lucky winners in this category.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide email balotting through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions,associations,and corporate bodies that are listed online. This promotion takes place Annually. In view of this, your US$20,000,000.00 (Twenty Million United States Dollars) shall be released to you by your claims agent.

To begin your claim,please contact your claims agent for due processing,details of your claims agent is stated below:

Dr. Gordon Smith
Financial Investment Limited,Uk.
Tel: +44-704-572-2131
      +44-704-572-1480
Fax:+44-709-286-8256
Email: gordonsmith967@excite.com 

You must contact FINANCIAL INVESTMENT LIMITED not later than 14 (FOURTEEN) banking days upon receipt of this notification. After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed. All correspondences to Dr. Gordon Smith,either by fax or email, should have this EMAIL sent along with it and also, your FULL ADDRESS, YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE and your EMAIL ADDRESS to which this email is sent.

You are advised to keep your winning confidential till your claim is processed and your money remitted to you.Please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers.

Sincerely,
Ursula Brian
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,

N.B:Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result in disqualification.Please do not reply to this mail. Contact your claims agent.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam