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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:
  • "foreign service manager" (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.
  • +447040128697 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: anderson smith <andersonsmith030@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 08:07:24 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: INFORMATION NEEDED



This is in response to your email to this office for claiming lottery Prize, we have verified on the system and confirmed with the Email Lottery Board that your reference and batch numbers is legitimate, the valued Prize still valid. Your email address is selected via computer ballot system as a winner.

The above payment of your lottery prize shall be executed after normal routine formalities in accordance with the email lottery board’s regulations on prize claim.

You are urgently required to furnish us with the below information’s so that your winning certificate could be processed. Be well informed that your prize will be transferred to you through our payment financial institution BACLAYS BANK here in UK.

1. Your full Name:
2. Address:
3. Marital Status:
4. Occupation:
5. Age:
6. Sex:
7. Nationality:
8. Telephone Number(Country Code)-(Area Code)-Phone Number):
9. Cell Number: (Country Code) - (Cell Phone Number):
10. Fax Number:
11. Notification Email Address:
12. Batch and Reference number

Congratulations once again

Faithfully ,

Dr. Anderson Smith
Foreign Service Manager
UK Overseas Subscribers Agent
Tel: + 44- 7040 128 697


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam