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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
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +31613261039 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • treasury2006@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: David Smith <david@davidsmith46.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2006 18:43:14 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS (CONTACT PRIME FINANCE BV)


CONGRATULATIONS (CONTACT PRIME FINANCE BV)
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
TREASURY LOTERIJ B.V
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS.

Dear Sir/Madam,

RESULTS FOR CATEGORY (A) WINNERS
Congratulations as we bring to your notice, the results of the First Category draws of THE MICRO PROMOTIONS INTERNATIONAL. We are happy to inform you that you have emerged a winner under the First Category, which is part of our promotional draws. The draws are being officially announced today 14th of October, 2006. Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 2,500,000 email addresses of individuals and companies from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Oceanic as part of our International Promotions Program. This e-mail lottery promotions takes place annually. It is sponsored by European Microsoft Users Consumer Program.

Your e-mail address, attached to ticket number 46939, with file number HTL/224-WB/4469 drew the lucky numbers 0-5-16-20-26-42 and consequently won in the First Category. You have therefore been awarded a lump sum pay out of 1000,000.00(One Million Euros only), which is the winning payout for Category "A" winners. This is from a total cash prize of 10,000,000.00 Million Euros shared amongst the first Ten (10) lucky winners in this category

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
The winning prize has been deposited with our paying bank pending remittance. You can now begin the process of claim. As part of our security protocol to avoid abuse of this program by participants/non participants alike, you are advised to keep your winning information discrete until your prize is released to you. Please contact your claims agent immediately for due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice. Please, contact your claim officer via the email address or telephone number provided below.

REF Number: HTL/224-WB/4469
BATCH No: : NL 442-786/06
To file for your claim, please contact the fiduciary agent.
*********************************************************************************
Mr. David Smith
Buitenstraat 119,
1342 KE
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
TEL: +31 613 261 039.
FAX: +31-847-243-436.
Reply Email: treasury2006@aim.com

***********************************************************************************
Congratulations once again and thank you for being part of our promotional program.
Yours Sincerely,

Mrs. Berlinda Van Hagem
(Promotions Coordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam