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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (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)
  • "keep this confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• 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 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.
  • icbcbinter@mail2world.com
  • icbicb@mail2world.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "rmiguel8 Gazeta.pl" <rmiguel8@gazeta.pl>
Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 21:45:57 +0100
Subject: RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION FINAL NOTICE


INTERNATIONAL LOTTO PROMOTION
INTERNATIONAL LOTTO PROMOTION
(*AFFILIATED WITH ONCE GHANA)
*
FROM : THE DESK OF MANAGING DIRECTOR.
CLAIM FILE NUMBER: EG/0084/5170024
BATCH NUMBER : 100000488
ATTENTION : STAKE
WINNER.





*RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION FINAL NOTICE
*
We are pleased to inform you today 9th day of May , 2008, of the release of
the GHANA SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY/INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION PROGRAM held on the
9th day of May, 2008. Your E-mail attached to the ticket number
002-77-897-045-112 drew the lucky numbers 09-13-17-29-33-41 that
consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore been
approved for a lump Sum Pay of* $815,950.00 (EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN
THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTY UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY*) in cash
credited to file ref number EG/0084/5170024. This is from a total cash prize
of $25,750,966.00 (Twenty five million, Seven hundred and fifty thousand,
nine hundred and sixty six United States Dollars only) Shared among
International winners in this category. *CONGRATULATIONS.*

Your fund is now deposited with a *INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK GHANA* .
Please note that your claim and batch number are the key to your funds,
your are to keep this confidential until your claim has been processed and
your money remitted to your account as this is part of our protocol to
avoid double claiming or unwarranted taking an advantage of this program by
participants. All participants were selected through a computer ballot
system drawn from 25,000 names from Europe, Asia,Africa and America as part
of our international promotion program that we conduct twice every year. We
hope with a part of your prize, you will take part in our next high stake *USD
1.3 BILLION INTERNATIONAL LOTTERIES.
*
To begin this claim, please contact your claim agent ATTN: JOHN MENSAH .
the Foreign Service Manager International Commercial Bank On Tel: *
00233247447562* (*icbcbinter@mail2world.com*
<icbcbinter@mail2world.com> **<icbicb@mail2world.com>)
for processing and remittance of your prize money to designated account of
your choice. Remember all prize money must be claimed not later than 30TH
day of JULY, 2008. After this date, all funds will be returned to the
Ministry of finance unclaimed.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delay and complications, please remember
to quote your claim file and Batch numbers in every of your correspondence
with us or your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of address,
do notify your claim agent as soon as possible

Congratulations again from all members of our staff and thank you for being
part of our promotion program.
*SINCERELY,
**MRS RACHAEL-MIGUEL
DIRECTOR*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam