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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (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.
  • +27735749549 (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.
  • info.uk.lot@mailbox.co.za (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: uk international lottery <uk.int.lot03@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 10:27:55 +0200
Subject: FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY



UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL LOTTERYThe Marina Office, St Peters Yacht Basin,Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1HX EnglandDear Winner,We are pleased to inform you that you are one of our winners in the just concluded draws of the UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY programs held on today 2nd of August, 2007.The online cyber lottery draws was conducted from an exclusive list of 21,000 e-mail addresses of individual and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the internet, no tickets were sold. After this automated computer ballot, your e-mail address emerged as one of three winners in the category \"A\" with the following winning information:REF No: UK/9420X2/68 BATCH No: 074/05/ZY369All participants were selected through the world. Canada, Australia, United States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceanic as part of our international promotions program. This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate ofsome multinational companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base. Further more your name falls within our African representative office in Johannesburg South Africa. you have been approved to claim the sum of £1,000,000 (One million pounds sterling).REF No: UK/9420X2/68BATCH No: 074/05/ZY369CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENTS Mr. CALEB SMITH EMAIL CONTACT:( info.uk.lot@mailbox.co.za)FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA UINVERSAL BUILDING,132-133 PARK HURSTBALFOUR UNIT 1440.JOHANNESBURG. 2001GAUTENG.PHONE: +27 735 749 549Do fill out the claims form to Mr.Caleb Smith, in other to process the claim without delay. PAYMENT PROCESSING FORM1.FULL NAMES:_____________________________2.ADDRESS:________________________________3.SEX:____________________________________4.AGE:____________________________________5.MARITAL STATUS:_________________________6.OCCUPATION:_____________________________7.POSITION IN OFFICE:_____________________8.TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBER:___________________9.ID COPY:________________________________10.AMOUNT WON:_____________________________11.COUNTRY:_______________________________12.REF No:________________________________13.BATCH No:______________________________Sincerely,Mrs. Cecilia MooreUK INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam