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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million united state 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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +27783498629 (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.
  • morris_dube@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "lotto3 promotion" <promotionlotto3@livedoor.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:53:34 +0200
Subject: Congratulations!! Your Email Address Has Won Coca-Cola 2008 Lottery


*THE COCA-COLA COMPANY*
*PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD
PROMOTE SOUTH AFRICAN 2010 WORLD CUP.*
* *
*We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just concluded
annual First Draws held to promote South Africa 2010 World Cup.**Your email
address was selected in our computer ballot system,The selection process was
carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection
machine (TOPAZ)*
**
*Congratulations: Your email was among the 3 Lucky winners who won
$2,000,000.00{Two million United State Dollars} each in the THE COCA-COLA
COMPANY 2008 PROMOTION.This is from the total prize money of US$6,000,000.00
shared among the three winners in the first category of the year 2008. *
**
* CONGRATULATIONS!*
**
*Each in the just concluded draw held to promote South African 2010 World
Cup,sponsored by South African Coca-Cola Company.**To begin the
claim processing of your prize you are to contact the fiduciary agent as
stated below:*
**
*Name:Mr. morris dube.*
*(Claims Agent).*
*Email:morris_dube@hotmail.com<http://us.f454.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=morris_dube@hotmail.com>
*
*Tel:+27 783 498 629.*
**
*And also provide the following information Below to him immediately for the
processing of your winning Prize.*
**
*NAME:........................... *
*ADDRESS:....................*
*COUNTRY........................ *
*NATIONALITY:...................... *
*SEX:............................. *
*AGE:............................ *
*PHONE/MOBILE:.......................... *
*FAX:................................... *
*OCCUPATION:............................ *
*COMPANY:.................................... *
*TICKET NUMBER....................................*
*BALLOT NUMBER:................................*
*OUR REF NUMBER................................*
**
*Your Email Attached to Ticket No: (7PWYZ2008)ballot No:(12052008/20)and Our
Ref no:(CC/WC/98839/08)*
**
**
*Yours Faithfully,*
*Coca-Cola *
*Management.*
*South African*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam