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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "overseas claims unit" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +447045743230 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Dr Well paulson <claimswinningunit09@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2007 12:56:02 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!


Attn:MY dear Leoda Weisz.
I got your mail and sorry for not geting to back to you urgently due to officail assignment regarding your winning fund ,so am happly informing you that the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY, has made the payment of transfering your winning fund to your personal account which you have to contact the bank for further information on how your transfer should be done okay.

Meanwhile the decision was made after the meeting yesterday regarding your conditions you are facing so you have to send your account details to the bank with immedaite effect, i hope the bank will contact you as soon as poosible.
Lastly the UK NATIONAL LOOTERY ,have to allotte that the clearification fees to you that the payment you have to made to the bank and i hope the 200dollars will not be much problem,you have to do just that as soon as the bank get intouch with you.


**************************************************
Overseas Claims Unit
United Kingdom Lottery Fiduciary
Contact Person: Dr Well paulson
+447045743230


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam