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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:
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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:
  • "high court" (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!
• 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.
  • tntcustoexpress@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: CHERRY RINGS <info_cherryringsclaimsoffice01@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2007 11:45:21 +0100 (BST)
Subject: LOTTERY CLAIMS CONTACT


ATTENTION: MA/02/453876752/NL

I acknowledged your claims form information. We have created a file in your favor and the file was forwarded to the British high court for appends. The court has approved your winnings and hence the winning certificate has been drafted and the probate registry has witnessed the approval.

Kindly note that a copy of the Original of your winning certificate will be sent to you via fax as soon as possible and the original of the certificate with other relative documents from the court and the probate registry, has been forwarded to the courier company for onward delivery of your winnings.

Kindly contacts the Courier Company and give them all your winning combination codes and numbers as reference for them to be able to attend to your claims.

The courier company can be contacted as below:

Name: TNT Courier Company
Lyall Creswell [Chief Courier Director]
Tel: +-44-702-402-9603
E-mail: tntcustoexpress@yahoo.co.uk
Please I would advise that you always keep in contact with me at all times in other for me to close your file here at the office once you have received your funds...
Regards,

Mrs. Cherry Rings.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam