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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim agent" (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.
  • +34691750229 (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.
  • mudialfin@aol.com

Fraud email example:

From: John Mbaka <johnmbaka_8888@web.de>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:38:05 +0100
Subject: CLAIM YOUR LOTTO PAYMENT




CLAIM YOUR LOTTO PAYMENT
INTERNATIONAL LOTTO COMMISSION
The World Lottery S.L
C/ Vicente Tijeras 11 No 12
28035, Madrid - Spain
9th/02/ 2008.

FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
BATCH NUMBER: LSLUK/2031/08
Reference NUMBER: 2763-4532ES

ATTE NTION: WINNER

It is a pleasure to inform you through this medium that Your
emailaddress won a prize of 810,000.00 in category A'micronet
EuroMilliones. Your Reference number 2763-4532ES, Batch numbers
LSLUK/2031/08 and Winning numbers CGDC1221/ES.

Contact our prize claim agent by email or phone and quote your
numbers with Full names, Phone/Fax no in your reply to your agent,

MUDIAL FINACIAL SECURITY COMPANY
person: Mr. Luis Mathew
TEL: +34-691750229
Contact: mudialfin@aol.com [mailto:mudialfin@aol.com]

All participants were selected through a computer ballots system drawn
from 25,000 names from Europe, North & South America, Asia, Australia Caribean,
Africa And New Zealand as part of our international program, which we conduct
once every year. We hope that with a part of your prize, you will take part in
our up coming end of year high stake US$1.8 billion International lottery.

Sincerely,
Mrs Alicia C. Benitez





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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam