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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
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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:
  • "clearance certificate" (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 send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "certificate fee" (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 send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "security keeping fee" (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 send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "clearance certificate" (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 send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "are expected 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 send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • ",500,000" (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 company" (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. )
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +447035954674 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Judith Alex Wilcox" <as4543398@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:09:07 -0400
Subject: Contact Trans-Express Delivery For Cheque
Delivery(anderson.white@transexpresscourieruk.co.uk)



GREETINGS!
I am sure this mail would be coming to you as a surprise since we have
never met before and you would also be asking why I have decided to
choose you amongst the numerous internet users in the world, precisely
I cannot say why I have chosen you but do not be worried for I come in
peace and something very positive is about to happen to your life and
the lives of others through you if only you can carefully read and
digest the message below.
The internet has made the world global villages where you can reach
anybody you have not met before.

Before I move further, permit me to give you a little of my biography,
I am Mother Judith Alex Wilcox, 87 Years old woman and the wife of Late
Sir Alex Wilcox who died in a Plane crash on Monday the 7th of
September 1998 GMT 4:22 UK while they were flying from New York to
Geneva. Please see site below for more information:
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html

After the death of my husband I became the Head of his investment and
now that I am old and weak I have decided to spend the rest of my life
with my family and loved ones whom I never had time for during the
course of my business life, but before the death of my husband we had a
plan to use the last days of our lives to donate half of what we had
worked for to the less privilege/charity homes and the other half for
ourselves, fami
ly members and close friends. Unfortunately, my husband
is not alive today to do this with me and I am very weak and old now,
hence I have decided to do this philanthropic work on behalf of my late
husband and I.

Presently, I have willed out almost half of our assets to several
charities homes/less privilege in different countries.

Despite the agreement between my late husband and I to give aid to the
deprived, we also agreed to render support to an unknown individual we
have not met before due to the fact that when we were still young in
life we received an anonymous help from an individual we did not know
and which we have not being able to know till date, the impact we got
from such gesture gave us the impression to pay it forward by doing
same to an unknown person.

I am sorry to inform you that you will never have the chance to know me
nor will I respond to your next email because I have just concluded the
assignment which my husband and I have agreed upon before his sudden
death and you happened to be the Unknown beneficiary of our last WILL
irrespective of your previous financial status. Hence, I need you to do
me a favor by accepting our offer that will cost you nothing.

Three weeks ago I deposited a Cheque in the sum of $1,500,000.00 US
Dollars with TRANS-EXPRESS DELIVERY to deliver to you upon your contact
with them, but I was unable to notify you timely
because of my ill
health, what you have to do now is to contact the COMPANY as soon as
possible to know when they will deliver your package to you because of
the expiring date on the Cheque. For your information, I have paid the
delivering cost, the Insurance premium and clearance Certificate fee of
the Cheque showing that it is not meant to sponsor terrorism in your
country. The only money you are expected to pay is $135 US Dollars for
the Security Keeping of the Cheque for three weeks. I would have paid
the fee but the company insisted that I should not because they don't
know when you will be contacting them and to avoid further cost.

You have to contact the Company now for the delivery of your Cheque
with this information below;
Contact Person: Mr. Anderson White
Email;anderson.white@transexpresscourieruk.co.uk
Phone No;+44-703-595-4674


You are to reconfirm the below information to them to avoid any mistake
on the Delivery and ask them to provide you with the method they wish
to use in receiving their accrued security keeping fee of $135 US
Dollars for their immediate action.

Postal address:
Full Names:
Direct telephone number:
Security Keeping Code: (ITW/001/C)

Below is the security keeping code: (ITW/001/C) of you draft, you are
to also present it to them for verification before delivery.

Note: Please do not thank me nor my husband, all I need you to do is to
invest wisely20with it and do the same good to someone’s life someday as
this world would be a better community if we render selfless services
to one another.

Also, be notified that I will no longer be reading my emails or surfing
the internet as I have retired completely from the outside world to my
ranch, at this moment all further correspondence should be forwarded to
the courier company for the delivery of your Cheque to you.

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Judith Alex Wilcox

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam