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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand u.s dollars" (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)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • @yahoo.com.au

Fraud email example:

From: FRANK MARTINZ <frninterconcept@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 02:54:56 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!


CASH-OUT LOTTERY BV CASH-OUT PLAZA, SUITE 1102A AUSTRALIA ZUID-OOST SYDNEY,
AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRICE AWARD DEPARTMENT.
Date:15/6/2006
Ref: 575061725
Batch: 8056490902
Winning no: KB8701

CONGRATULATIONS!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Dear Sir/Madam, We are delighted to inform you of the result of the E-mail address ballot lottery draw of the Australian cash-out lottery bv international programme,which took place on the 14June 2006. This is a computer generated lottery of Internet users using email addresses for draws. This lottery draw is fully based on an electronic selection of winners using their e-mail addresses from different World Wide Web(www)sites. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 275-189-657-23-05 with Serial number 8756-05 drew the lucky numbers 11 13 26 34 44 48 and bonus ball number 02 which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$800,000.00 (EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S DOLLARS) in cash credit file ref:ILP/HW 47509/02. This is from the total cash prize of US$8,000,000 Million Dollars,shared amongst the first Ten (10) lucky winners in this category. All participant were selected randomly through a
computer balloting system drawn from Nine hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada,Australia, United States,Asia,Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our international promotions programme which is conducted annually.
This Lottery is being promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of Multinational companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base. Further more your details(e-mail address) falls within our AFRICAN representative office in Abuja,NIGERIA,as indicated in your play coupon and your prize of US$800,000.00 will be released to you from the regional branch office ABUJA in NIGERIA. We hope with part of your prize,you will participate in our end of yearhigh stakes for US$10 Billion international draw.Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.
HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Simply contact your claims agent,at Email...(coleclaimsdept @yahoo.com.au) Please quote your reference,batch and winning number which can be found on the top left corner of this notification as well as your full name, address and telephone number to help locate your file easily.For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information confidential from the public until your claim is processed and your prize money remitted/released to you. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this programme by some unscrupulous elements,equally to guard against non participant or unofficial personnel taking undue advantage of this programme.
NOTE:All winnings MUST be claimed by a STIPULATED TIMEotherwise all funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually be reabsorbed into our next lucky dip sweepstakes.
Congratulations once again on your winnings!!!
Yours in service,
Mr.Greg Cole Executive Co-ordinator (australian International Lottery Program). Dr. P. Swier, Mr. Gerald Goodman (Manager Foreign Operations),
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS OFFICE,MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT AT (coleclaimsdept @yahoo.com.au). ALSO MAKE SURE YOU SEND DOWN,FULL ANME,PHONE NUMBER, CONTACT ADDRESS, NATIONALITY,OCCUPATION, AGE,MARITAL STATUS,NAME OF BANK OF OPERATION WHERE YOU PRIZE WILL BE TRANSFERED AND ACCOUNT NUMBER TO YOUR CLAIMS AGENT FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR WINNING,BATCH AND REF NUMBERS.HE WILL THEN CONTACT THE PAYING BANK FOR YOU PRIZE RELEASE. ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION .

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam