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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!
  
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• 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "million pounds" (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 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.
  • richardblakes@jmail.co.za (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2008 05:04:06 +0100
Subject: Congratulations! {You just won}

FROM THE DESK OF PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/ PRIZE DEPARTMENT,
POWER BALL ONLINE LOTTERY,
UNITED KINGDOM.



Reference No: PBL-L/327015002/07
BATCH NO: 2008 SEPTEMBER #414
WINNER NO: 17

Attention Winner,

Power ball Management Worldwide are pleased to inform you
today 26th OCTOBER, 2008 that you are a winner of our annual
POWER BALL ONLINE LOTTERY conducted for this present year
MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNING PROGRAM held on the 23rd of
OCTOBER 2008.

Your email address was attached to ticket number 214-056-278
with serial
Number s/n-01025 and drew the lucky numbers 724-595-62-07-45
and consequently won in the 3rd category.

As a result of this, you have therefore been approved for a
lump sum payout of £1,000,000:00 (One million Pounds)
payable in cash credited to File Reference No:
MSW-L/327015002/07.

This is from the total prize money of £50,000,000 (fifty
million Pounds) shared among Fifty lucky international
winners in this category.

To file your claim, contact our Foreign Service manager via
the email address below. Fill the data form correctly and
forward to him so he can begin the documentation and
transfer of your winnings.
========================================================================
BAR. RICHARD BLAKES
Foreign Service Manager,
London United Kingdom,
richardblakes@jmail.co.za

-Name (full name):
-Sex:
-Occupation:
-Nationality:
-Country of residence:
-State:
-Postal code:
-Account details:
-Next of kin:
-Home address:
-Telephone number:
=========================================================================

Note: Attach a colored passport photograph or drivers
license when submitting the above information. The above
detailed information will be absolutely necessary for the
processing of your payment cheque, bank drafts or wire
transfer.

Remember to quote your ticket number, serial number and
lucky number in your future correspondence and most
importantly as part of our security protocol you are to
quote this security code MSW/SEP/SS08 to the Foreign Service
Manager, this is to prevent scam.

Also this winning is valid for THREE WEEKS and failure to
issue claims after this period will automatically void your
payment.

Congratulations once again.

Yours sincerely,
Mr. Alexander Reyes
(PROMOTION MANAGER).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam