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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:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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 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.
  • drluciegilbert03@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "MacDonald, Pamela" <pamacdon@umflint.edu>
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 20:00:03 -0400
Subject: CONFIRMATION LETTER FROM THE LOTTERY BOARD

British National Lottery,
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Dear Winner,
We happily announce to you the draw results for the UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY, Online Sweepstakes International program held on 7th AUGUST
2008 Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn

from a pool of over 25,000,000 names of distinguished professionals
drawn from all over the world.
Your email won a total sum of £815,502.00 (Eight Hundred and Fifteen
Thousand, Five Hundred and Two Pound Sterling) cash credited to file
KTU/9023118308/03.
You are also advised to provide with the under listed information's to

your fiduciary agent:
1.Name in full. 2.Address in full. 3.Nationality & Present
Country. 4.Occupation. 5.Age.6.Marital Status. 7.Phone /Fax /Sex.
8.Email
address.
Fiduciary Agent: DR LUCIE GILBERT
Email: drluciegilbert03@hotmail.com
<mailto:drluciegilbert03@hotmail.com>
Thank you.
Regards,
Anne Wright(Mrs)Co-Coordinator (Online Promo Programme)

NB: Please reply to drluciegilbert03@hotmail.com
<mailto:drluciegilbert03@hotmail.com> only.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam