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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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)
  • ",500,000" (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!

Fraud email example:

From: "UK ONLINE LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL" <laura_hooper@live.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:43:11 -1200
Subject: Final Notification.

Customer Service
28 BISHOPS STREET,
BISHOPS AVENUE,
LONDON.

Ref: BTL/491OXI/04
Batch: 12/25/0304
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ATTENTION.

Seasons greetings, we announce to you the draw of our
programs
held on the 1st of June 2008 in London. Your e-mail address
with
serial number 5388/02 drew the lucky numbers:
31-6-26-13-35-7,
which subsequently won you the sweepstake in the 2nd
category.

You have been approved to claim a total sum of
£2,500,000.00
(Two million, five hundred thousand, Great Britain Pounds)
in cash credited to file RPC/9080118308/04 made available
from a total cash prize of £125 Million Pounds.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To collect your won sum, contact our fiduciary agent via the
below
details;
AGENT: LAURA HOOPER
Email: laura_hooper@live.co.uk
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remember to quote your reference information in all
correspondence. It is required you provide them with your
full names, contact address and telephone numbers for
processing.

Congratulations from members of staff.

Faithfully,

Clara Ronin, Esq.
Zone Co-ordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam