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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "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. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. )
• 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.
  • +447011146506 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "kdial3@eparsnip.com" <kdial3@eparsnip.com> (may be fake)
Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 12:57:49 +0100
Subject: **NOTIFICATION OF WINNING**


**NOTIFICATION OF WINNING**

We are please to anounce you as one of the 5 lucky winners in the Publishers
Clearing House draws held for MAY 2007.All five winners address were randomly
selected from a batch of 10,000,000 international emails.

Your email address emerged alongside 4 others as a category 2 winner in this
year's weekly Publishers Clearing House Consequently,you have therefore
been approved for a totalpay out of &pound;250,000(Two hundred and fifty
thousand pounds) only.
The following particulars are attached to your lotto payment order:

(i) winning numbers:47-14-34-85-67-32
(ii) email ticket number:FL 754/22/76
(iii) lotto code number:FL09622UK
(iv) Ref number:FL/04/836207147/uk

Please contact the underlisted claims officer as soon as possible for the
immediate release of your winnings:

Mr Paul Girling
Email: girling_officer22yahoo.CO.UK
Tell: +447011146506

N.B:Please quote your reference number in all correspondence with the claims
officer.Winners must send their Data or fill the data's below and send
to their claims officer:

NAME:....................................................................
2.ADDRESS:..............................................................................................................................................

3.SEX:........................... 4. AGE:........5.MARITAL
STATUS:........................6.OCCUPATION:..................................................7.HAVE

YOU A PASSPORT OR LICENCE.............(identification on transfer)
8.ANNUAL INCOME..............PASSPORT............ 9.INDICATE PREFERRED
MODE
OF PRIZE COLLECTION: (A) CHEQUE (B) DRAFT (C) TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER IF
BY TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER (Details of the account where you want your
funds transferred):
.....................................................
......................................................
10.E-MAIL.......................................................................
11.TELEPHONE NUMBER:....................................12.LOTTO
NUMBER:.............................!
........B. DRAW NUMBER:...................................13.TICKET
NUMBER:...................................14.SERIAL
NUMBER:......................................5.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF
COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL:......................... 16.AMOUNT
WON:..........................................................17.
STATE:..............................................18.
COUNTRY.................................................To
avoid unnecessary delays and complications

!!!Once Again Congratulations!!!

Yours faithfully,
Maryann Carter
Contest Department for Publishers Clearing House
Sweepstakes International Program

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam