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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
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "money transfer control number" (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. )
  • "tax clearance" (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. )
  • "clearance certificate" (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. )
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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)
  • "courier service" (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!
• 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.

Fraud email example:

From: Merlon Mayrand <merlonmayrand01@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:14:50 +0100 (BST)
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?q?You=20won=20=A31,000=20000!=20Yahoo!=20Mail=20congratulate?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?s=20you!=20=20=20=20Elsha=20Faberhagen=20?=


You won £1,000 000! Yahoo! Mail congratulates you! Messenger

YAHOO INTERNET LOTTERY

CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU WON £1,000 000!



Batch Number :...... AT-040-SB06-03
Serial No:.............652-662
Lucky No:...................7-14-18-23-31-45
Ref Number :OSL/653/029/03


RE- THE RELEASE OF THE LOTTERY WINNING PRIZE AWARD OF ONE MILLION POUNDS STERLING TO ELSHA FABERHAGEN

Attn: Elsha Faberhagen

THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS LOTTERY ORGANISATION HAVE RECEIVED YOUR COMPLETED IDENTIFICATION AND VERIFICATION INFORMATIONS TO TRANSFER YOUR MERITED LOTTERY WINNING FUNDS DIRECTLY TO YOU.

BE INFORMED THAT WE HAVE NOTIFIED OUR BANK LLOYDS BANK LONDON TO RELEASE YOUR TOTAL WINNING PRIZE .IT IS PERTINENT TO KNOW THAT YOUR MONEY IS BONDED,NON-DIVISIBLE,NON-NEGOTIABLE AND WILL BE TRANSFER DIRECTLY TO YOU AS THE WINNER AND LEGALLY THE OWNER OF THE FUNDS.

BE RIGHTLY INFORM THAT SOME CHARGES NEED TO BE PAID WHICH SHOULD BE USED TO PROCESS AND TRANSFER YOUR WINNING PRIZE.THE PAYMENT OF THE CHARGES SHOULD BE MADE PERSONALLY IN OUR OFFICE IN LONDON OR SEND TO US VIA WESTERN UNION TO EFFECT THE PROCESSING AND TRANSFERING OF THE FUNDS TO YOU.

THE CHARGES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
(1) NOTORIZATION FEE IN THE COURT OF LAW HERE IN LONDON.
(2) ACCESSMENT CHARGES.
(3) INSURANCE AND TAX CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE.
(4) ORIGINAL WINNING CERTIFICATE.
(5) BANK TRANSFER CHARGES.
(6) DELIVERY COST. COURIER SERVICES THAT WILL DELIVER THE ORIGINAL COPY OF THE WINNING CERTIFICATES TO YOU AS A WINNER AND TO THE PAYEE BANK BEFORE THEY COULD REMIT YOUR MONEY TO YOUR ACCOUNT OR DELIVER DIRECTLY TO YOUR HOUSE.

THE TOTAL CHARGES TO BE PAID IS $850 USD.YOU SHOULD ENDEAVOUR TO COME IN PERSON TO OUR OFFICE WITH THIS SUM FOR AN OFFICIAL WELCOMING AND HANDLING OVER OF YOUR FUNDS TO YOU BY THE BANK.

ALTERNATIVELY, IF YOU CAN NOT MEET UP BY COMING TO OUR OFFICE.THEN,SEND THE CHARGES TO US THROUGH WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER TO OUR ACCOUNTANT GENERAL WITH THE INFORMATION BELOW :

NAME : MR MARK PETERS
ADDRESS : 15 CROYDON STREET SE 24 SW LONDON UK

AMOUNT : $ 850 USD
MTCN : ..............................


IMMEDIATELY YOU MAKE THE PAYMENT, FORWARD THE MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER (MTCN) TO ME, YOUR TOTAL WINNING FUNDS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE PROCESS AND TRANSFER TO YOU.

ONCE WE CONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT,WE WILL IMMEDIATELY PROCESSED AND SEND YOUR WINNING DOCUMENTS TO THE PAYING BANK FOR AN IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF YOUR FULL WINNING PRIZE INTO YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNT.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR FUND WILL GETS TO YOU WITHIN THE SAID TIME FRAME OF 24 HOURS AFTER CONFIRMING YOUR PAYMENT.IT IS THE MANAGEMENT POLICY TO TRANSFER YOUR FUND WITHIN 24 HOUR UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR CHARGES PAYMENT INFORMATION.YOUR WINNING PRIZE FUND WILL REACH TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT WITHIN 24 HOURS ONCE YOU SEND THE CHARGES AS DIRECTED.

I AWAIT HEARING FROM YOU SOON TO SERVE YOU BETTER.

CONGRATULATION ONCE AGAIN.

THANKS


YOURS FAITHFULLY,

DR. MRS MERLON MAYRAND






























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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam