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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!
  
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• 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:
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "fiduciary 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.
  • +447040108423 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: colin stuart <online@sweeplotto2006.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 04:25:44 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: VERIFICATION PENDING WINNER






ONLINE SWEEP LOTTERY
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Wellington Way,
Brook lands Business Park,
Weybridge, KT13 0TT
United Kingdom.
Fax: 44-8701213851
TELEPHONE:+44-7040108423




Ref: LSUK/2231/81/04
Batch: OBW/A10-234
Date: 21-09-2006


ONLINE FIDUCIARY/CLAIMS PROCESS DEPARTMENT


Dear Winner,

Good day to you. Please fill the information below and send to your fiduciary agent as instructed in your winning notice. You might be wondering how you became a winner. All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 companies and your email was one of our ten lucky winners that was why a Notification was sent to you informing you of your winning. So in order to verify your winnings, we need your particulars for record purposes. Note, for security reasons, you have been given a password; any correspondence from us henceforth to you will indicate this password, and vice-versa. Any correspondence or phone call without this password should be disregarded. Your password is attached below.

Note, we have not received your personnal data form and as such cannot process your claims and your clearance documents that will be used by you to claim your winnings cannot be processed as well because the information required is for processing your winnings. These documents are required by the Government to indicate that the funds are winnings from the UK SWEEP LOTTERY, these documents include (drug Law Certificate (which certifies the funds free from illegal Drug trafficking) and the Anti-Terrorist Clearance Certificate (which certifies that the funds is not in any way linked to Anti-terrorist activity; To mention but a few.

To file for your claim, please fill the form below and return immediately:

NAME:______________________________________
SEX_______________________________
COUNTRY ___________________________________
ADDRESS:____________________________________
CITY:_______________________STATE/PROV:____
ZIP/POSTAL CODE:_____________
PHONE:________________ FAX: _______________
EMAIL:_____________________________________
REFERENCE NUMBER:____________
BATCH NUMBER:_________________________________

On this note you are required to write a letter stating what you intend
to do with your winnings, this should be emailed to us via email as an
attachment or faxed not later than three days upon the receipt of this
email along with your signatory included or stamped for authentication. A copy of the TERMS AND CONDITIONS is attached for your notice. Please read the TERMS AND CONDITIONS PROPERLY and sign and return immediately to avoid any further delays. Upon receipt of your response, contact information to the attorney will be detailed to you, so you can make contact and proceed with the procurement/legal proceedings and transfer modalities. These information requested are to be used in the clearance purpose only for verification to commence. If you wish to claim your winnings; please do provide the required information, to avoid further delays.

Finally, upon receipt of this information; your file will be opened and
modalities on how your documents backing your winnings will reach you
will commence as well the transfer proceedure of your funds to you. Do keep all your information at this stage from public notice to avoid double claims.

For more enquiries please call or send an email.



Regards,


SIR COLIN STUART
ONLINE COORDINATOR
N.B: PASSWORD: - "Transfer Slip

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam