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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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• 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 laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "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. )
  • "cost of mailing your draft" (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. )
  • "payment for the courier" (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. )
  • "vat (5%)" (VAT rate in the UK is 17.5%, check the math)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: "peter fox" <mrpeterfox01@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:28:11 -0800
Subject: MR.PETER FOX FOR PACKAGE


Attention : s. sam kumar,

Do acknowledgethe receipt of your email* *, Please note that you have been
officially cleared for payment and delivery of your parcel by the *LOTTERY
BOARD * to you. In light of this,the original copy of this certificate
together with a covering document (Money Laundering protection and Letter of
Affidavit for Claims) from the British government stating that the money was
obtained legally through the Microsoft Promotional Team Program will be
transferred to you as soon as you meet with any of the option listed below.

Your package shall be dispatched as soon as you meet with the conditions of
payment. With regards to this you are required to select the most convenient
of the FOUR (4) options of delivery for non-uk residents below:



OPTION NUMBER 1
18 HOURS PREMIUM DELIVERY

Shipping & Handling............380.00
Insurance......................230.00
Vat .......................080.75
*TOTAL......................... .690.75 GBP *

OPTION NUMBER 2
24 HOURS ECONOMY DELIVERY

Shipping & Handling............420.00
Insurance......................150.00
Vat .......................080.75
*TOTAL..........................550.75 GBP *


OPTION NUMBER 3 48 HOURS ECONOMY DELIVERY
Shipping & Handling............210.00
Insurance......................115.45
Vat .......................080.75
*TOTAL..........................406.20 GBP *

*OPTION NUMBER 4*
*96 HOURS ECONOMY DELIVERY*
Shipping & Handling...........117.99
Insurance......... 230.98
Vat...................7.55
*TOTAL.........356.52 GBP*


*UK SAME DAY DELIVERY *
Colour of parcel...................................Brown
Mailing; .............................................£013.00
Insurance...........................................£267.00
Vat (5%)............................................£019.00* *
*TOTAL..............................................£299.00*
**
*FASTWAYS-BANK TO BANK WIRE TRANSFER*
Transfer Fee .........................................£200.00
Account Activation Fee...................................£270.00
Vat (5%).....................................£019.00
*TOTAL.....................................£470.00*
**
*The insurance company declined reverse payment for the courier, stating
that it is against their professional policy towards ensuring the safe
delivery of the draft to you. That if a reverse payment is made, and
something goes wrong, you cannot sue the courier company or insurance
company to recover the full value of the fund as stipulated in the draft
since payment for insurance cover was not made at point of mailing. With the
above reason, reverse payment is ruled out. Forward the cost of mailing your
draft with any of the Option cost you choose above to us. *
*
**Note: That your winning is under a hard cover insurance and security
policy which makes it impossible to deduct the above charges from your
winnings this is due to impersonation and unwanted tempering of the winning
package of the past by some unscrupulous personnel thereby putting the
courier company into jeopardy. So we don't want this to occur again.So we
the courier decided to insure the winning package under a hard cover to
ensure the safe delivery of the parcel to it designated winners Home.*
**
*You will have to opt to choose a choice of payment and get back to us for
instructions about making the required payment. *

**
*Do acknowledgethe receipt of this email.*


*Mr. Peter Fox,*
*Managing Director,*
*FASTWAY COURIERS SERVICES INTL.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam