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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.

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.
  • +27739727665 (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.
  • stevemutter@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "UNITED KINGDOM LOTTERY" <ukmillions15@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 13:51:03 +0200
Subject: Urgent Message-Open Immediately


*UK-MILLIONS LOTTO.
THE **LOTTO PROMOTION
HEAD OFFICE
ST GEORGES COURT,
**2-12 BLOOMSBURY WAY,
LONDON, WC1A 2SH
UNITED KINGDOM.
*


*Dear Winner,
*

**

*My name is Mrs. Linda Marcus, on behalf of UK-Millions Lottery/Lotto
Promotion London, United Kingdom; I wish to announce you as one of the
3 lucky winners in the Lotto draw held on FRIDAY 7 APRIL 2007. *

*All 3 winning addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000
international emails. Your email address emerged along side 6 others
as a 2nd category winner. Consequently, you have therefore been
approved for a total pay out of £350,000.00(Three Hundred and Fifty
Pound Sterling only).
*

**

*The following particulars are attached to your lotto payment order:
**(I) Serial Batch No: 83200-0
(II) Winning Number: 9,2,9,4,6,Bonus 25, 15*

*(III) Ref No: 175-02906041-216.

*


*Please contact the under mentioned claim officer as soon as possible
for the immediate release of your winning: *

**

*The Fund Release Order Operation & International

UK-Millions Lottery Centre
Tel: +27-73-972-7665
EMAIL: stevemutter@yahoo.com
*

**

*Forward the below listed details for immediate commencement of your
payment process:-
1,Your Full Name*

*2 Country of residence
3,Wining and Reference numbers.
4,Telephone & Mobile number. *

*5.Occupation*

*6.Age
*

**

*This email notification is auto-generated and it is valid for four
weeks. Once again on behalf of all our staff, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
*

*Sincerely,
Mrs. LINDA MARCUS.
*



*The Lotto Awards is proudly sponsored by the African/European Union
Lotto Corporation/Microsoft Companies, the Intel Group, Toshiba, Dell
computers Mackintosh and a conglomeration of other international IT
companies in order to promote the FIFA 2010 World Cup to be hosted in
South Africa. The lotto internet draw is organized to encourage the
use of the internet and computers worldwide. *

*We are proud to say that over 200 Million Pound Sterling's are won
annually in more than 150 countries worldwide.
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam