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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
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• 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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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 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.
  • +4407024023496
• 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.
  • claimsdept@hotmail.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Susan Wright" <web45@quickstat.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: claimsdept@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:39:29 +0100
Subject: Dear Lucky Winner


Dear Lucky Winner,

We announce today the external draw #3011 of the UK Stake National
Lottery draw held on the 29th July, 2008 in the United Kingdom.
Your email address was attached to Ticket Number 807/510054/08, with
Serial number 99010, which won in the 2nd Category.

You have been approved for payment the sum of £1,000,000:00 (One
Million Great British Pounds) credited to file with REF NO:
UKNL/98710/HA/08 and Batch No.10050UKNL.

To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary claim Agent;
====================================
Dr. Martins Green
Email: claimsdept@hotmail.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 702 402 3496
===================================

Please remember to quote your Reference and Batch Numbers
along with the following details:

NAME:.........
MAILLING ADDRESS:........
EMAIL:..........
COUNTRY:..........
PHONE/FAX NUMBER:......
AGE:.......
SEX;........
OCCUPATION:......

upon your confirmation email to the claim agent. All prize money must
beclaimed not later than the 31st of July 2008.

Congratulations!!!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Susan Wright
Zonal Co-ordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam