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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:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "20 craven park, harlesden" (address often used in fake lottery scams)
• 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. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "you are required to pay " (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. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
  • ",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)
  • "00,000.00" (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. )
  • "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. )
  • "cheques " (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!
• 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.
• MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • +2348055643037 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: David Moore <davidmoore070@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 11:30:23 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: PAYMENT DELIVERY INFORMATION FROM MICROSOFT AWARD 2007




Microsoft Promotion Award Team
20 Craven Park, Harlesden
London NW10
United Kingdom




Dear Lucky Winner: Egbert Cordfunke





I Mr. David Moore, your Cliam facilitator officer, had been directed to release your payment cheque to you as soon as possible, immediately I receive your email.

This is to formerly inform you that after the verification process conducted on your duly completed Prize Verification Form, I wish to inform you that the Administrative department has just approved and referred your claim file to our affiliate company, DHL Courier Services, so that your Prize Winning Certificate and Cheques can be sent to you by postal mail but you shall bear the cost of courier delivery of your cheque and Prize Winning Certificate

These Draws are commemorative and as such special. Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our Africa booklet representative in West Africa as indicated in your play coupon, In view of this, your US$1,000,000.00 (One Million United States Dollars) cheque would be released to you in our West Africa Payment Office,

Our Delivery Officer in our West Africa Payment Office would be delivering your cheque to you through DHL Courier to your respective city or locations in your country. He would need;
• Phone number:......
• Postal address for Verification:.......
• DHL Courier Delivery Fee of $190 US Dollars. (One Hundred and Ninty US Dollars).


Send the delivery fees through Western Union Money Transfer or MONEYGRAM, to my secretary via this E-mail address. Find below the details of the receiver:

Mr. MALAWY OLIVER.
ADDRESS: 223, Dutse way, Wuse Zone 1,
Jos, Nigeria.

TEST QUESTION: White
ANSWER: Red

You are to send the following payment informations to my office Via E-mail:

1) Name and Address of sender
2) Amount sent
3) Money transfer control number (MTCN)
4) Location were money was sent from.
5) TEST QUESTION AND ANSWER:

This will enable us facilitate the release of your winning certificate and the cheque.

After making the payment, you are advised to send me a copy of the transfer slip immidiately or call me on +234-805-564-3037 for verification.

We congratulate you as one of the Microsoft And Aol award International Online Sweepstakes Lottery Winner.

N.B: Your winning Award Certificate would be sent with your Cheque. Hence, without the winning certificate presented at your local bank, you won't be able to claim the money and it might causes a lot of delay as this is a crossed cheque. You can receive the money in any country in the world.

Thanks for your cooperation. Note, it is not possible for me to deduct the DHL DELIVERY fee from your winning cheque because it has been issued and sent to me by the general overseer Mrs. Susan Lars, in conjunction with the A.B.N AMRO Bank financial. In this case, you are required to pay this fee to get your winning cheque as soon as possible.

Please note that on no condition or circumstance must you reveal your winning ticket number to any one for this organization shall not by in anyway be held responsible for double claiming/missappropriation of funds. You have to keep your winning information secret until you are done.

Thanks.
Yours faithfully,
Mr David Moore,
MICROSOFT/AOL


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam