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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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• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million united states dollars" (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 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.
  • oleascontacts@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • totheagent@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: giro@ngiro.orangehome.co.uk
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 14:17:51 +0100 (CET)
Subject: DECEMBER 2006 EXCLUSIVE DRAWS:





DECEMBER 2006 DRAW.
PROMOTIONS/PRIZEAWARD DEPARTMENT


Dear Sir/Madam,


FINAL NOTIFICATION OF WINNING:





This is to bring to your notice the results of December 2006 draws of the LUCKY DAY/LOTTO NL.PROMO INT. We are happy to inform you that you won four million United States Dollars (US$4.M). The results of the draws have been officially announced.Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 2,500,000 email addresses of individuals and companies from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania as part of our International Promotions Program.


Your e-mail address attached to ticket number IL252/03/78 with serial /file reference number IL25278NL drew the lucky numbers 14, 17, 19,23,28,33 (18) won the four million United States Dollars (US$4.M). The batch number is KK1011.


In your best interest to avoid mix up of numbers and names of any kind, we request that you keep the entire details of your award strictly from public notice until you receive your total winning prize. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants/non participants of this program.


Please contact the claims agent within 3 weeks from today via;
Name: Mr. Steve Olea
Email: oleascontacts@netscape.net


Email: totheagent@aim.com
Fax number: +31-84-754-7144. (If you are contacting your agent through fax, do please include your email address). CONGRATULATIONS!


Regards,


Mr. Giro L. Bommel (Deputy Director).


NB: Your winning prize is covered by an insurance bond which prevents any deduction from it. You will receive your total winning prize intact through our authorised agent (Steve Olea).


Warning!!! Fraudulent emails are circulating that appear to be using the Lucky Day Lottery addresses, but are not from the Lucky Day Lottery, So beware!!!. Accept our congratulations.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam