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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.

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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)
• 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.
  • +448712636956 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • jerryhogan38@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: janet coos <janetcoos001@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <jerryhogan38@aim.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:26:59 +0200
Subject: PROMOTIONS AWARD


The United Kingdom REF: LE/44267998/5110BATCH: LE/9922/07 Dear Sir/Madam We are pleased to notify you of the result of the International Electronic Lottery Draw Program held on the 15th of August,2007 in which your e-mail address was attached to this file number 622-441-9901 with serial number 007551, which won a lump sum pay out of (800,000.00) Eight Hundred Thousand Pounds. Participants were selected through an electronic computer ballotingsystem drawn from over Fifty Thousand company's and Thirty Millionindividual email addresses and names from all over the world. This lottery was promoted and sponsored by Association of software producers. To file for your claim, Please contact the authorized officer in charge. Mr Jerry HoganTel/fax No: +44 871 263 6956Email: jerryhogan38@aim.com You are adviced to provide the following informations: 1. Name in full 2. Address 3. Email 4. Nationality 5. Age 6. Occupation 7. Phone/Fax Congratulations, and thank you for being part of our promotional program. Note: Anybody under the age of (18)Eighteen is automatically disqualified. Yours Sincerely,Mrs Janet CoosCo-ordinator.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam