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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:
  • "money transfer control number" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "you are required to pay " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "inland revenue board" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "deadline" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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!
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • revenuecustomsuk@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: inlandrevenueuk@hmrc-gov.net
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 17:42:14 +0000
Subject: {Disarmed} YOUR CLEARANCE PERMIT AND AIRWAY BILL IS READY.WE AWAIT YOUR PAYMENT
INFORMATION



THE INLAND REVENUE CLEARANCE BOARD HEADQUARTERS,
21 WILSON STREET LONDON,ENGLAND EC2M 2TD
UNITED KINGDOM.
Welcome to HM Revenue & CustomsHMRC is responsible for collecting the bulk of tax revenue, as well as paying Tax Credits and Child Benefits,refundable tax deposits as governments policy to curb money laudering/anti-terrorism,transfer of lottery awards,cash movements in and around the United Kingdom and strengthening the UK's frontiers.

Attention: Sir/Madam,
A recall order has been placed on your winning Cheque by this board which hitherto was on transit.
YOUR PARCEL WAS SEIZED TO ENABLE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE INLAND REVENUE CLEARANCE BOARD INVESTIGATE YOUR WON PARCEL to make sure that your AWARDS (WON CHEQUE VALUED £228,784 POUND STERLINGS) BEING SENT TO YOU IS GENUINE/LEGITIMATE AND NOT MEANT FOR ANY CRIMINAL PURPOSE LIKE any financial sponsorships of terrorist interest because of the recent attempted bomb blast attack by some group of terrorist.
According to police reports some weeks ago, it was gathered that the last attempted terorist attack in UK was actually sponsored by a charity organisation in Pakistan who got a donation of 1 million Pounds Sterling from United Kingdom but decided to invest such in terrorism.As an aim towards disabling terrorist financing and in view of the fact that you are a winner of such a huge amount of money from the UK National Lottery, the INLAND REVENUE CLEARANCE BOARD has been instructed by government to carry out further investigation on your WON AWARD.
We have also been instructed by the Government that due to the new anti-terrorist bill passed into law, which scrutinizes any amount above 50,000.00 British pounds leaving the country.You are required to pay a refundable caution deposit of £500 POUND STERLINGS as Clearance Fee.
This is to enable THE INLAND REVENUE CLEARANCE BOARD issue A CLEARANCE PERMIT to the courier company to enhance a HITCH-FREE delivery to you.
You are required to make the a refundable anti-terrorist CLEARANCE deposit fee of £500 POUND STERLINGS through Western Union Money Transfer in the name of our Accounts officer,MR. ROCK EDGECOMB-21 Wilson Street,London,England,EC2M 2TD UNITED KINGDOM.

The following payment information should be sent to my office through email inlandrevenueuk@hmrc-gov.net ,
revenuecustomsuk@yahoo.co.uk

NAME OF SENDER......
ADDRESS OF SENDER...
AMOUNT SENT.........
MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER....

Be informed that this is a new government law.As soon as we received your payment details,your won PARCEL containing your cheque and certificate shall be released to the dispatch department of the courier company for immediate delivery to you

THE INLAND REVENUE BOARD LONDON UK [APPLICATION FORM ]

PLEASE FILL AND RETURN BACK NOT LATER THAN 48 HOURS
NAMES..................................................................
ADDRESS...............................................................
AMOUNT.............................................................
OCCUPATION......................................................
SEX................................AGE................................
LOTTERY CERT. REF.NUMBER.....................................
BATCH NUMBER...........................................
E-MAIL ID....................................................
I WISH TO CONFIRM THAT I.............................IS THE RIGHTFULL PERSON OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION.
NAME & SIGNATURE ..................... DATE.................................

PLEASE ATTACH ANY FORM OF YOUR IDENTIFICATION

Also be reminded that the deadline for the payment of the tax fee is exactly 5 days after the receipt of this email. After this period, your cash prize will be deemed to have been forfeited by you and will be confiscated.
This is for your information.

YOURS FAITHFULLY.
TERI STEPHEN ARGO
TAX OFFICER

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam