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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: Gino Zimba <xcellenzim1@yahoo.fr>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:35:43 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: YOUR URGENT REPLY WILL BE HELPFUL


HAVE YOU RECEIVED MY EMAIL OF RECENT? SEND THE 97EUR TO ME TO MY NAME AS BELOW:
 
NAMES: ZIMBA GINO SAM
COUNTRY: TOGO
CITY: LOME
 
THE MONEY SHOULD BE SENT THROUGH THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER AND ALL THE PAYMENT INFORMATION SUCH AS :- THE WESTERN UNION PAYMENT NUMBERS, THE PAYMENT SECRET QUESTION AND ANSWER,THE CITY WHERE THE MONEY IS SENT FROM AND YOUR FULL NAME.WITH THESE INFORMATION BEING FULLY SUPPLIED,I WILL BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE MONEY FROM THE WESTERN UNION PAYMENT OFFICE AND PROCEED TO THE FEDEX COURIER SERVICE CENTRE TO SEND THE BANK CHEQUE TO YOU.
 
MORE IMPORTANT,I WILL NOT FORGET TO INFORM YOU THAT THE CHEQUE IS GETTING NEAR TO ITS EXPIRATION PERIOD BUT I AM NOT PRECISE TO THE EXACT DATE AS I WILL HAVE TO GO AND CHECK OUT FROM THE ISSUING BANK TO BE PRECISE.
 
AS SOON AS YOU SEND THE MONEY PLEASE CALL ME TO ENABLE ME KNOW AS YOUR EMAIL TO ME DELAYS FOR SOME DAYS BEFORE IT GETS TO ME.YOUR URGENT REPLY WILL BE HELPFUL.
 
DR.ZIMBA GINO,
FMSI,LOME,TOGO,
AFRICA.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam