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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "activation fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "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. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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 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.
  • +447045725883 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: WOOL WICH BANK <woolwichtsbonline@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:19:41 +0100 (BST)
Subject: ACCOUNT ACTIVATION INFORMATION FOR (URGENT)



Wool wich Bank plc Main branch Practical Information 421 Manchester, England United Kingdom
09/08/2007


Dear:valued customer:

We acknowledge the receipt of your mail to our o
ffice. We hereby inform you that we are in receipt of the transfer form with the informations required for the swift transfer and also we have received a LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION from the British international lottery , stating that you are the Benefactor to the funds in our bank, and that you will be making contact with us, to officially activate your acount that is being dormant for a while now, thereafter make transfer to your designated account.

Prior to this, we want you to provide the under listed information below to our office along with any form of your identification (INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT, DRIVERS LICENSE).


For the opening of your domant account in our bank we require the sum £450.(Great Britain Pounds) this is because we cannot open an account for you with your winning cheque,it has to be deposited in our bank for it to clear before it can be transfered to your local account.

The amount ( £450.) will be used as a deposit to open an account in your name where your cheque will be deposited, from hence your funds shall be transferred immediately to your local bank account.

You are to send the amount via Western Union Money Transfer (WUMT), in the name of our accounts Manager in charge of Western Union Pick-ups. Below is the information of the accounts Manager.


FIRST NAME:Lilly
LAST NAME:Stewart
ADDRESS:421 Manchester, England United Kingdom

Details of your payment slip and a copy of your passport photograph should be scanned and sent to us via email attachment for confirmation, or details provided via email messaging.You can as well send the payment slip by fax

Immediately after the transfer has been successfully conducted in benefit of your local account, the aforementioned account would be closed down and your deposit of £450 refunded accordingly.

For further questions, do call or email us for guidelines. Thank you.


Many Thanks.

Many Thanks. Mr Mark Forest
Forex Allocation Unit Manager
Customer Support
Wool wich Bank plc

TEL: +447045725883
TEL: +447011138488
FAX +44870 479 2332
___________________________________________________________________________________
This e-mail is only for the above addressees. It may contain confidential or privileged information. If you are not an addressee you must not copy, distribute, disclose or use any of the information in it or any attachments. If you have received it in error please notify the sender and delete it immediately.

Wool wich Bank plc . Registered office: 421 Manchester, England United Kingdom. Registered in England and Wales, number 2065.

Wool wich Bank Scotland plc. Registered office: Henry Duncan House, 120 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4LH. Registered in S cotland, number 95237.
Cheltenham & Gloucester plc. Registered office: Barnett Way, Gloucester
GL4 3RL. Registered in England and Wales, number 2299428.

Wool wich Bank plc, Wool wich Bank Scotland plc and Cheltenham & Gloucester plc are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and are signatories to the Banking Codes.

Wool wich Bank plc and Wool wich Bank Scotland plc represent only the Scottish Widows and Wool wich Bank plc Marketing Group for life assurance, pensions and investment business. Cheltenham & Gloucester plc acts as an
introducer only for life assurance, pensions and investment business.

Wool wich Bank Group plc. Registered office: Henry Duncan House, 120 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4LH. Registered in Scotland, number 95000.

============================== ============================== ====
This e-mail is intended only for the above addressee. It may contain privileged information. If you are not the addressee you must not copy,distribute, disclose or use any of the information in it. If you have received it in error please delete it and immediately and notify the sender.


BANK

Note:Your account activation fee of £450 is just s deposit and will be transfered with your funds to your local account



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam