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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:
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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:
  • "claim 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.
  • +34628450461 (Spain, 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.
  • lotterymil@aim.com

Fraud email example:

From: henry@henrya.orangehome.co.uk
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2006 17:09:35 +0100 (CET)
Subject: ATTN.WINNER


CLAIMS PROMOTION INFO

Euro Millions Lottery,
Gregorio Herrraez 15
Postcode 28042
Madrid-Spain

(i)the file Ref number: Ef/05673/EM
(ii)Result winning numbers:12-22-32-33-36 2-6
(iii)email ticket number:774/12/78
(iv)Batch Number 620-442-134-11
In view of the yearly sweepstake of the above named organization held
on the 18 of Nov. 2006. It is my pleasure to inform you that your e-mail
address attached to the above ballot No came up in the third stake.
This invariably means that you have emerged as the prize recipient in
the third category with an allocated sum of 890.512,79 euro (Eight hundred and Ninty thousand, five hundred and twelve euro,seventy-nine cent)only in the open ballot device.
Be informed that all participants were selected from a random computing ballot system...
For immediate release of your cash prize, kindly contact our Paying Agent.

TRUST CLAIM AGENCY S.L
========================Mr. Antonio Lopez
C/Santander, 1 28088 Madrid-spain.
TEL:+34-628450461
TEL/FAX:+34-692487824
EMAIL TO:lotterymil@aim.com

The above claim agent will assist you in the processing and remittance of your prize funds to you,note that not later than one week After this date if you do not contact and process your winning prize, all funds will be returned as unclaimed

Congratulations once again.
Yours Faithfully,
Raul Vicente
Coordinator
(Euro Millions Lottery)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam