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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:

• 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (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. )
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (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)
  • "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!
• 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.
  • +34652127924 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • martinnavarozurichseguro@europe.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: LOTTERY PRIMITIVA <lotteryprimitiva@easymail.hu>
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:18:45 +0200
Subject: AWARD NOTIFICATION




INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY COMMISSION
AVDA DE LA CONTATINE
C. /SANTA EDIFICIO ROSA 20
MADRID 28005 MADRID SPAIN
TEL:+34 652 127 924
FAX:+34 940 461 219


Date: 23RD AUGUST, 2007

FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD
REFERENCE Nº: 222/31/LOT
BATCH Nº: 12115-04/ ST
ATTN: BENEFICIARY,
AWARD NOTIFICATION.

This is to inform you of the release of the LOTTERY PRIMITIVA PROMOTIONS PROGRAM held on the 13TH July of, 2007.
Due to the mix up of numbers and names, the results were later released on the 30th of July, 2007.
Your email /company email was attached to number with Reference Nº:222/31/LOT with Batch Nº:12115-04/ ST,Track Nº ESP 3491983543688980900 drew the lucky numbers 11-20-25-29-31-443-38, which consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category.
You have therefore been approved a lump sum payment of $615,810.00USD (SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED AND TEN U.SDOLLARS ONLY) in cash. This is from a total cash prize of $ 9,237,150.00, DOLLARS shared among the (Fifteen international winners in this category). CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Your fund is now deposited with a security company insured in your name. Due to false practices, we ask that you keep your award information strictly from public notice, until your claim has been processed and money remitted to your possession as this is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unwarranted abuse of this program by unscrupulous individuals.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from (ONE Million) names from Asia, America, Africa, Europe, and South Pacific, as part of our International promotion program. We hope your lucky name will draw a bigger cash prize in the subsequent programs ahead.

To begin your lottery claims, please contact your claims agent. DR. MARTIN NAVARO, the Foreign Service manager of ZURICH SEGUROS S.A. On Tel: +34616 885 056 Fax: +34940 466 310, +34616 885 125 Email:martinnavarozurichseguro@europe.com for the processing and remittance of your prize winning money to a designated choice of yours.

Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than 27th of September, 2007. Any claim, not made before this date will be returned to the MINISTERIO DE ECONOMIA Y HACIENDA as unclaimed fund. And also be informed that after your clam 3% of your Winning belongs to ZURICH SEGUROS S.A. as part of their commission for acting on your behalf . Your claim agent will direct you further on the administrative requirement to enable the bank to release your fund to the designated choice of yours.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every correspondence with your agent company. Furthermore, should there be any change of address, do inform your claims agency company as soon as possible as the original copy of your award letter has been forwarded to their company for security purposes.

Congratulations once again
Sincerely,
DR ANTONIO GARCIA
VICE PRESIDENT,
LOTTERY AWARD


PLEASE PROVIDE TO YOUR CLAIM AGENT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION



Please complete this form and get in touch with ZURICH SEGUROS

Copy to MARTIN NAVARO (FOREIGN OPERATIONS MANAGER).



YOUR REF Nº: ………………………………….BATCH Nº:.…………. …………… . ...TRACK Nº:..…………. …….........................



LAST DATE OF CLAIMS:……………….…………………AMOUNT WON:.………………………………...……… ………………


NAME: …………………………………...………….…………MIDDLE NAME: …..…………………………………………………….......



LAST NAME: ………………………………….………………..……DATE OF BIRTH: ………………………………………………….



HOME ADDRESS:……………….…………............………STATE: ……………….……………………CITY………..............................



ZIP CODE:…………………..……COUNTRY:………………………...……………..NATIONALITY: ……….………………………



TELEPHONE:…………………………………………MOBIL:……...................................………..FAX: ……………………...……………



EMAIL:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………



OCCUPATION: ……………………………………………MARITAL STATUS: (M)…….…(D)…….……...(S)…………………..





I WANT TO BE PAID BY: (a) (BANK TRANSFER) .......................... (b) (CERTIFIED CHEQUE) ..............



BANK NAME:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....



BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER:…………………………………………………………………………...………………….…………………



SWIFT CODE: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………..



BANK ADDRESS:…………………………………………………………………………………..…………….…………….………………...



CITY: ……………………………………………………………… STATE: ……..…………….……………………………….……………….





NEXT OF KIN
NAME (MR/MRS) :………………………………………………….LAST NAME :………………………………………………...............



HOME ADDRESS:………………………………………………………CITY:……………………………………………………………….



STATE:………………………………………………………….ZIP CODE:……………………………………………………………………



OCCUPATION:……………………………………MARITAL STATUS (M)…………….(D)…...…………(S)………..........................



TELEPHONE:……………………………………MOBILE:……...................................………..FAX: ……………………...……………



DECLARATION



I (MR/MRS)……………………………………………..…..HEREBY DECLARE THAT I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY

PAYMENT ON MY BEHALF BY (ZURICH SEGUROS S.A.) NOR HAVE ANY OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS FILED A

CLAIM ON MY BEHALF. I HEREBY GIVE THE AUTORIZATION TO ZURICH SEGUROS S.A. TO ACT ON MY BEHALF

IN THE PROCESSING AND TRANSFER OF MY PAYMENT TO THE DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT/ CERTIFIED CHEQUE

AS STATED ABOVE.





SIGNATURE :…………………………………………..DATE :……………………………………..………………...............................

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam