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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:

• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "deadline" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • brunozani@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: eurres inter <eurres@eurres.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2006 17:07:58 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: European award winning prize.


European award winning prize.
Plaza Toro 24,Madrid Spain.
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are please to announce you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the Euro Millones Lottery International Email Address draw on the 5th of Sept.2006 due to the mix-up of email addresses, the result was released on the 13th Sept.2006. All 10 winning addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international email addresses. Your email address emerged alongside 9 others as a category A winner in the Euro Millones Lottery Draw.
Consequently, you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of US$787,000:00 (Seven Hundred and Eighty Seven Thousand United States Dollars Only The following particulars are attached to your lottery payment order:
Batch No: SUTO/980/TWM/EU
Ticket No: WRNM/SMI/5990
Lucky No: 10-23-44-72-80
Serial No: MUOTI/82536
The Euro Millones Lottery Program internet draw is held once in a year and is so organized to encourage the use of the internet and computers worldwide. We are proud to say that over 200 Million Euros are won annually in more than 150 countries worldwide.To claim your winning prize you are to contact the appointed agent as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:
BRUNO ZANI & ASOCIADOS
E-mail: brunozani@aim.com
Contact: Barrister Bruno Zani
N.B:Steps to claiming your prize;
1.Please quote the numbers attached to your lottery payment order, in all correspondence with the claims officer.
2. You must contact the appointed agent with your Full Names, Contact Telephone Numbers (Home, Office and Mobile Number and also Fax Number) via email to process the immediate payment of your prize.
3. Be informed that the appointed agent will be required to swear an Affidavits of Lotto Claim and also obtain Approval Legal Clearance Certificate from the Court here in Spain which is in accordance with the European Union Financial Act 2004 on payment of International Lottery Winners.
Please be aware that the PAYING BANK will Effect Payment Swiftly upon satisfactory Report, Verifications and validation provided by this fiduciary agent.For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to you.Be informed that the deadline to claim your winning prize money is 30th Nov.2006.
Once again congratulations!!!
Best regards,
Mrs.Pila Bueno.
Program Assistant.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam