419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:
- "keep your winnings 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)
- "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 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.
- +447024092673 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
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.
- derrickbrian112@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "SHELL OIL" <shelloilagent2010@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:10:28 -0700 (PDT)
Subject:
=?iso-8859-1?Q?MICROSOFT=AE_WINDOWS_XP_CORPORATIONS_WINNING_NOTIFICATION?=

Microsoft® Windows XP Corporations,
Customer Care/Information Unit,
100 Victoria Street London,
SW1E 5JL,England,
United Kingdom.

MICROSOFT® WINDOWS XP CORPORATIONS WINNING NOTIFICATION.

We wish to congratulate you once again on this note, for being part of our
winners selected this month. This promotion was set-up to encourage the
active users of the Microsoft® Windows.

Hence we do believe with you winning this prize, you will continue to be
active and patronage to the Microsoft® Windows XP Corporations. A winning
Cheque will be issued in your name by the Microsoft® Windows XP
Corporations, You have therefore won the entire sum of 950,000.00 {Nine
Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds}, and also a certificate
of prize claims will be sent along side your winnings Cheque.

You are to make contact with your designated agent who shall by duty,
guide you through the process of facilitating the release of your Prize.

To file your claims, Please contact your Foreign Transfer Manager Mr.
Derrick Brian With the following informations below: (all your replies
will be based on this email address:derrickbrian112@gmail.com)

Foreign Transfer Manager: Mr. Derrick Brian.
Microsoft® Windows Xp Corporations (UK).
Contact E-mail: derrickbrian112@gmail.com
Phone Number: +447024092673

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM.

(1) Your contact address:
(2) Your Tel/Fax numbers:
(3) Your Nationality/Country:
(4) Your Full Names:
(5) Occupation/Company Name:
(6) Age:
(7) How do you feel as a Winner:
(8) Your Preferred Mod Of Receiving Your Winning Sum.

It is important to note that your award information was released with the
followings details.

(1) Award numbers: NL 56/7766
(2) Email ticket numbers: EAASL-56473
(3) Batch numbers: MC46/467/3GHO /EU
(4) The file reference numbers: UT/4352/23/09/OCT
(5) Serial Numbers: McST/047/NL40564.

The selection process was carried out through random selection in our
Computerized Email Selection System (C.E.S.S.) from a database of over a
million emails from the World Wide Web.

The Microsoft® Windows Award Team has discovered a huge number of double
claims due to winners informing close friends relatives and third parties
about their winning and also sharing their pin numbers.

As a result of this, these friends try to claim the Winnings on behalf of
the real winners. The Microsoft® Windows Award Team has reached a decision
from headquarters that any double claim discovered by the Lottery Board
will result to the canceling of that particular winning, making a loss for
both the double claimer and the real winner, as it is taken that the real
winner was the informer to the double claimer about the lottery. So you
are hereby strongly advised once more to keep your winnings confidential
until you claim your prize.

Congratulations

Yours Sincerely,

Mr. Martin fort,

Head of Customer Care/Information Unit.
London, United Kingdom.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam