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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "national lottery promotion" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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)
• 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.
  • agentscott33@yahoo.com.au

Fraud email example:

From: "yahoo lottery" <lottery.yahoo@klikni.cz>
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 03:13:07 +0100
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS: Lucky Recipient,


CONGRATULATIONS: Lucky Recipient,
Winning Numbers
(1) (2) (26) (30) (40) (21)
Congrats, it is with great pleasure to inform you, of your E-mail
emerging as one of our winners in this year Yahoo/Uk International Lottery
Promotion.

This program is conducted annually and you have emerged as one of our
winner for this year 2008.You hereby have been approved a lump sum
pay of 200,000.00GBP (TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND POUND STERLING) in cash
credit file .All winnings MUST beclaimed before the 30th of July .2008.
CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT AT:
MR.WOODGATE SCOTT
agentscott33@yahoo.com.au

So you are required to contact the bank with the information below.
1)Your name..................
2)Your address..................
3)telephone number..............
4)fax number...................
5)Age.....................
6)Gender..............
7)Occupation..............
8)nationality...............
9)Amount Won..............

BEST REGARDS
Rose Adams(Mrs)
(LOTTERY COORDINATOR)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam