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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "00,000.00" (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.
  • +447031804779 (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.
  • georgesmithexecutivemail@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Angela Elvis" <angelaelvis026@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 10:21:56 +0200
Subject: From the desk of: MRS ANGELA C. ELVIS


Euro Afro UK Lottery promotion

Draw of South African 2010 World Cup

From the desk of: MRS ANGELA C. ELVIS

No: 345 St Michael's Street Plot 2A Manchester Drive

United Kingdom.



Dear Lucky Winner,



Congratulations! You have won South Africa n United Kingdom.

Lottery World Cup Bid



We happily announce to you the result of South African 2010 World cup Bid
lottery Award International programs held in United Kingdom. Your e-mail
address attached to ticket number: B9665 75604546 199 with! Serial number
97560 drew the winning: 60/84/27/17/36, which subsequently won you t he
lottery award in the 2nd category. Your name has therefore been approved to
claim a total sum of US$800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars) in cash credited to file KPC/9030108308/03. This is from a total
cash prize of US$32,000,000.000 (Thirty two million United States dollars)
shared among the first 400 lucky winners in this category worldwide.



Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our lottery booklet
representative office in South Africa as indicate in the play coupon. In
view of this, your US$800,000 (Eight Hundred United States Dollars) would be
released through the assistance of our agent in United Kingdom. Immediately
he commences the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as
you contacted him. Also your claim included with free flight ticket and one
month hotel reservation in one of the five star hotels.



All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through
computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000,00 companies and
individual emails address world wide. The lottery program took place to
promote South Africa's 2010 world cup award. For security reasons, you are
advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims are
processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to
claim your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double
claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous
elements.



Please you are advised to file for your claim immediately through our agent
MR. George Smith immediately you received this message because you stand a
risk of loosing the prize if you fail to claim within a month from the day
you received this notification.



Mr. George Smith

CLAIMING AGENT

E-mail address: georgesmithexecutivemail@yahoo.co.uk

+44 703 180 4779



MRS ANGELA C. ELVIS

ZONAL CORDINATOR.



NB: Any breach of confidentiality on the part of t he winners will result to
disqualification. Please do not reply to this email. Contact your claims
agent. (Mr. George Smith)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam