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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
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "transfer of your funds" (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.
  • +447011150676 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +447024063266 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448709744065 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Z=FCrich=20Lotterien?= <info_zurich@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 12:02:45 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Your winning update. R/N:ZL/07/4007


R/N:ZL/07/4007
Dear Winner,

We have sent repeated messages to you, but all to no avail. Did you receive our last e-mail?

You are required to send us an update in regards to the transfer of your funds to your designation or/if you prefer to come directly to our London office to claim your winnings of One Million Euros.

In essence, if you decline to claim your winning as stipulated by the organizers of Zürich Lotterien, you will be required to send us a Letter of Disclaimer of Funds, stating that you cease to be a beneficiary of the stated prize Funds.

You are also required to state that you will lay no claim whatsoever on the stated prize Funds, relinquishing your winning and empowering us with the right to return the winning to the organizers of Zürich Lotterien.

Kindly inform us of your decision.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Stevens Herbert
Information and Payment Bureau:
London Representative Office.
Tel: +44-702-406-3266
+44 701-115-0676
Fax: +44-870-974-4065

CC

Mrs. Kirt Loberg.
Promotions Manager.
Zürich Lotterien.
Management and Central Services:
Weg 205 B - 02241, zum Erfolgreichen
Switzerland.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam