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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• 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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims 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)
  • "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)
• 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.
  • vertexfinco@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: sweetwin lottery <sweetwinlottery@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 01:42:33 -0800 (PST)
Subject: OUR AWARD WINNER!!!


DEAR WINNER,

FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS / PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
SWEETWIN LOTTO PROMO LOTTERY, HEADQUARTERS:10 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE,
LONDON WC2N 5BX, THE UNITED KINGDOM.

REF: OYL/25041238013/02
BATCH: 24/00319/IPD

ATTENTION: RE/ AWARD NOTIFICATION/FINAL NOTICE

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today 27th February 2006 of Winners of the SWEETWIN PROMO LOTTERY, UNITED KINGDOM / INTERNATIONAL, PROGRAMS held on 30th January 2006.

Your e-mail address is attached to ticket number: 023-0148-790-459, with serial number 5073-11 drew the lucky numbers 43-11-44-37-10-43, which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category. It is our pleasure to inform you that you have emerged as a Category "B" winner of the SWEETWIN LOTTO PROMO LOTTERY.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of Five Million, Five Hundred Thousand-America Dollars You have therefore been approved for lump sum pay Out of US$5,500.000.00 Million in cash credited to file REFNO.OYL/25041238013/02. This is from total prize Money Of US$80,400,000.00 shared among the seventeen International winners in this category. Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as contained in your file.

In view of this, the Certified Bank Check of your Five Million, Five Hundred Thousand-America Dollars ($US5, 500.000.00) would be released to you by our security firm in London, United Kingdom. Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.

As a category "B" winner, all participants for the free online lotto version were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through the computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 names / companies from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, America, Europe, North America and Asia as Part of International Promotions Program, which is Conducted Bi-Annually. After the computer ballot of our International Promotions Program, only first seventeen- (17) lucky winners emerged in this category.

This lottery program was organized by our group of philanthropist promoted and sponsored by Mr. Bill Gates of Microsoft Inc, eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei, Multi Choice and other corporate Organizations. This lottery program was organized to improve the use of computer software's and for the benefit of every Microsoft user.

Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, and for security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims is being processed and your Certified Bank Cheque is being received by you.

This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements. So be warned.

To file for your claim, please contact our Category "B" fiduciary agent who is your claims agent:
MR. KALLEB ALLEN.
FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER,
Vertex Finance Company.
Email : vertexfinco@yahoo.co.uk

For due processing and the delivery of your won prize to be sent to you through Certified Bank Check. Please do also send to your claim Agent your telephone / fax number and your contact address. However, it should be noted that all won prize must be claimed not later than 12th March 2006. Any claim not made before this date will be returned back to the SWEETWIN LOTTO PROMO as unclaimed won prize.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and Complications, please remember to quote your Reference and batch numbers in your correspondences with your claim agent.
Furthermore, should there be any Change of your address, do inform our fiduciary
agent who is your claims agent as soon as possible.

This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants Of This program. We hope with a part of your prize, you will Participate in our end of the year high stakes US$1.3Billion International Lottery.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Susan Vonks.

N.B. any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualifications.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam