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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
  (+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:

• 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")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +447040110652 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • prime_goldenincorp@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "fredrick johnson" <fredrickjon001@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 15:45:44 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!

RE/ AWARD NOTIFICATION

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 18th of January 2006, of winners of THE INTERNATIONAL LOTTO PROGRAMS held on 20TH of August 2005 as end of year bonanza. You or your company, attached to ticket number 034-1416-4612-750, with serial number 6521-11 drew the lucky numbers 31-51-22-24-39-43, and consequently won the lottery in category C.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$1.Million in cash credited to file REF: EKS255125600304. This is from total prize money of US$11,000,000.00 shared among 11 winners in this category. All participants were selected through a computer balloting system drawn from 25,000 names from Middle East, Asia, Africa, Canada, Europe and North America and Oceania as part our International Promotions Program, which is conducted annually.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your fund is now deposited with PRIME GOLDEN INC, a security, and House insured in your name. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program.

We hope with a part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year high stakes US$20.3 Million International Lottery.

To begin your claim, please contact your claims agent;

FISHER DONES
PRIME GOLDEN INC.
TEL: +44-7040110652
EMAIL: prime_goldenincorp@yahoo.com

For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice. Remember, you must contact your claim agent not later than 28th of January 2006. After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed. All correspondences to MR. FISHER DONES, either by fax or email, should have this EMAIL sent along with it and also, your FULL ADDRESS, YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE and your EMAIL ADDRESS to which this email is sent, should be clearly and BOLDLY WRITTEN IN YOUR RESPONSE with your claims agent.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your correspondences with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program.

Sincerely,

FREDRICK JOHNSON.

THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
http://www.freelotto.com

N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification. Please do not reply to this mail. Contact your claim agent

 

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam