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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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• 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:
  • ",000,000" (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)
• 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.
  • +34652659880 (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.
  • sqfinance@aim.com

Fraud email example:

From: sorteo@sspain8.orangehome.co.uk
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:10:20 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: YOUR EMAIL HAS BEEN SELECTED!!!


YOUR EMAIL HAS BEEN SELECTED!!!
San Juan P02 3 1, Madrid, Spain.
Ref: SP/9420X2/68
We happily announce to you the draw (#1002) of the MICRO-SOFT SUPER SORTEO on-line Sweepstakes program held on 10Th August, 2007.
Your email address has won the sum of 1,000,000.00 euro(One million euro) of our e-mail lottery credited to file:KTU/9023118308/07 with the winning numbers giving below;
Ticket Number: 56475600545 188
Batch Number: 074/05/ZY369
All participants for the on line version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed on-line. This promotion takes place once in two years.
To file for your claim, please contact the claim department with details below:
SUPER SORTEO FINANCE S.A.
TEL: +34-652-659-880
FAX: +34-940-468-337
Email: sqfinance@aim.com
Contact person: Sr.Vicente Miguel
You are also advice to provide the following
information:
1)Your Full name:
2)Direct telephone / fax numbers:
3Your full home / office address:
4)Date of birth:
These informations are necessary to file for your claim.

Yours truly,
Mrs.Rosewisa Edward,
(Promotion manager).

NB: All participants below the age of 18 years old are automatically disqualified.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam