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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "vittorio foundation" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "anti-terrorism certificate" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "clear source of funds certificate" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "certificates of origin of funds" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "insurance fee " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "vat (5%)" (VAT rate in the UK is 17.5%, check the math)
  • "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • +2348060276011 (Nigeria, 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_ecowascounselor_dispatch@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Ecowas office <info_ecowascounselor_dispatch@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2007 05:55:42 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: {Disarmed} INDICATE/CHOSE ONE MOST CONVINIENCE TO YOU FOR YOUR DISPATCH FROM OUR DELIVERY OPTIONS .


ECONOMIC COMMUNITY FOR WEST AFRICAN STATES
Official Head Quaters,
Abuja. Nigeria.




ATTN: WINNER: Mr.Orlin Hochmann,

YOUR VERIFICATION HAS BEEN SENT TO US FROM THE VITTORIO DE FOUNDAZINE DONATION BOARD AND YOUR WINNING PARCEL HAS BEEN SCHEDULE FOR DISPATCH.CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN, A CHEQUE HAS BEEN ISSUED IN YOUR NAME, AND THE ECOWAS HAS CONCLUDED THE PROCESSING OF ALL DOCUMENT THAT WILL FACILITATE THE CLEARANCE OF YOU CHEQUE IN YOUR BANK. THIS DOCUMENT WILL IMMEDIATELY BE SENT TO YOU VIA OUR AFFILIATED COURIER DELIVERY. THESE DOCUMENT INCLUDE.

1.DONATION CHEQUE VALUED THE SUM OF US$500,000.00 .
2.DONATION CERTIFICATE FROM THE VITTORIO FOUNDATION, ITALY.
3.CLEAR SOURCE OF FUNDS CERTIFICATES(C.S.F.C.)
4.ANTI-TERRORISM CERTIFICATES(A.T.C)
5.CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN OF FUNDS(C.O.F.)
6.BENEFICIARY PAYMENT FORM(KINDLY NOTE THAT THIS IS THE FORM THAT STATES THE BENEFICIARIES NAME AND BANK NAME THAT WILL RECEIVE THE CHEQUE.)
7.LETTER OF AFFIDAVITS FROM THE NIGERIAN HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE, STATING THAT THE DONATION WAS RECEIVED LEGALLY FROM THE UNIVERSAL DONATION PROGRAMME, AND DUELY SIGNED BY THE LEGAL ATTORNEY TO THE ECOWAS.

THESE DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN SECURELY SEALED AND PACKETED DUE TO SECURITY REASON, WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO VIEW IT UNTIL DELIVERED TO YOU. BUT I HAVE ATTACHED A SCANNED COPY OF YOUR DONATION CERTIFICATE TO THIS EMAIL, WHICH WAS SEPRATED FROM OTHER DOCUMENTS, AS INDIVIDUALS HAVE THE RIGHT TO VIEW THEIR DONATION CHEQUE, BEFORE RECEIVING THE ORIGINAL COPY, SO THAT THEY CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THE CORRECT TYPING OF THE BEARER'S NAME.

TO BEGIN THE FINAL PROCESS OF CLAIMING YOUR DONATION, WHICH IS SHIPPING OF YOUR DONATION CHEQUE TO YOU, YOU ARE HEREBY PRODUCED WITH THREE OPTIONS PRODUCED BELOW. THIS OPTION YOU ARE TO CHOOSE THE ONE MOST CONVENIENT TO YOU.

THE OPTIONS, TOGETHER WITH THEIR ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS ARE PRESENTED BELOW. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CHOSE 1 (ONE) FROM OUR DELIVERY OPTIONS BELOW AND PAY ALL THE NECCESARY COURIER CHARGES ATTACHED, TO ENABLE THE SHIPMENT OF YOUR CHEQUE AND OTHER DOCUMENT TO YOU URGENTLY.

INDICATE/CHOSE ONE MOST CONVINIENCE TO YOU FROM OUR DELIVERY OPTIONS BELOW FOR YOUR DISPATCH.

DELIVERY OPTIONS:

OPTION 1:. DHL DELIVERY IN 2 DAYS.


MAILING $200 DOLLARS INSURANCE FEE $300 DOLLARS Vat (5%) $200 DOLLARS TOTAL $700 DOLLARS

OPTION 2: UPS DELIVERY IN 3 DAYS.


MAILING $100 DOLLARS INSURANCE FEE $300 DOLLARS VAT (5%) $200 DOLLARS TOTAL $600 DOLLARS

OPTION 3: FEDEX DELIVERY IN 4 DAYS.


MAILING $100 DOLLARS INSURANCE FEE $300 DOLLARS Vat (5%) $50 DOLLARS TOTAL $450 DOLLARS

DOCUMENT INSURANCE FEE (THIS IS ABSOLUTELY COMPULSERY, AS IT HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE FEE OF ANY COURIER OPTION YOU DECIDE TO CHOOSE). Kindly be informed that Under the enabling act of parliament, diplomatic courier delivery has to be issured by the Nigerian insurance ministry before been dispatched by courier delivery.

This company declined reverse payment for these charges, stating that it is against their professional policy towards ensuring the safe delivery of the cheque to you. That if a reverse payment is made, and something goes wrong, that we/you cannot sue the courier company or insurance company to recover the full value of the fund as stipulated in the cheque since payment for insurance cover was not made at point of mailing.With the above reason, reverse payment is ruled out. which makes it absolutely necessary to produce the courier fee before courier can despatch delivery.

Note: that your prize is protected by a hardcover insurance policy, which makes it impossible to deduct any amount from the money before it has been remitted to you. This means that the above charges cannot be deducted from the prize and hence must be provided by you before your prize is transferred to you. This is in accordance with section 13(1)(n) of the international gambling act as adopted in 1993 and amended on 3RD july 1996 by the constitutional assembly.This is to protect receipients and to avoid misappropriation of funds.
Send your response to indicate your option within the next 24hrs as soon as you get this message.

YOUR RESPONDS IS BEEN AWAITED.



Thanks,
MR. AHMED SHURU
COUNSELLOR, ECOWAS NIG
PHONE NO2:+2348060276011
EMAIL:counsellor@ecowasdispatch-office.dom-reg.com
EMAIL:info_ecowascounselor_dispatch@yahoo.com











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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam