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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "vittorio foundation" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "certificates of origin of funds" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "you are required to pay " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "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. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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!
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "Ecowas Payout Office(Vittorio)" <ecowas_payout_dept01@yahoo.it>
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 23:15:50 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: Options for the delivery of your winning cheque!!!





ECONOMIC COMMUNITY FOR WEST AFRICAN STATES
Official Head Quaters,
Abuja. Nigeria















DEAR BENEFICIARY( Mr Rico Brandgen )

CONGRATULATIONS. A CHEQUE HAS BEEN ISSUED IN YOUR NAME, AND THE ECOWAS HAS CONCLUDED THE PROCESSING OF ALL DOCUMENT THAT WILL FACILITATE THE CLEARANCE OF YOU CHEQUE IN YOUR BANK. THIS DOCUMENT WILL IMMEDIATELY BE SENT TO YOU VIA COURIER DELIVERY. THESE DOCUMENT INCLUDE.
1.DONATION CHEQUE VALUED THE SUM OF US$500,000.00
2.DONATION CERTIFICATE FROM THE VITTORIO FOUNDATION, ITALY.
3.CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN OF FUNDS(C.O.F.)
4.LETTER OF AFFIDAVITS FROM THE NIGERIAN HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE, STATING THAT THE DONATION WAS RECEIVED LEGALLY FROM THE UNIVERSAL DONATION PROGRAMME, AND DUELY SIGNED BY THE LEGAL ATTORNEY TO THE ECOWAS.
THESE DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN SECURELY SEALED AND PACKAGED DUE TO SECURITY REASON, WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO VIEW IT UNTIL DELIVERED TO YOU. BEFORE RECEIVING THE ORIGINAL COPY.
TO BEGIN THE FINAL PROCESS OF CLAIMING YOUR DONATION, WHICH IS SHIPPING OF YOUR DONATION CHEQUE TO YOU, YOU ARE HEREBY PRODUCED WITH THREE OPTIONS PRODUCED BELOW. THIS OPTION YOU ARE TO CHOOSE THE ONE MOST CONVENIENT TO YOU.
THE OPTIONS, TOGETHER WITH THEIR ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS ARE PRESENTED BELOW. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PAY ALL THE NECCESARY COURIER CHARGES TO ENABLE THE SHIPMENT OF YOUR CHEQUE AND AND OTHER CLAIM DOCUMENT TO YOU.
OPTIONS:

BANK-BANK WIRE TRANSFER
$1500



DHL 1 DAY EXPRESS

Mailing: US$810

UPS 2-3DAYS



Mailing: US$730

FEDEX4-5DAYS

Mailing: US$600

1Week Delivery
POST OFFICE
$450

Note: that your prize is protected by a hardcover insurance policy, which makes it impossible to deduct any amount from the money before it has been remitted to you. This means that the above charges cannot be deducted from the prize and hence must be provided by you before your prize is transferred to you. This is in accordance with section 13(1)(n) of the international gambling act as adopted in 1993 and amended on 3RD july 1996 by the constitutional assembly.This is to protect receipients and to avoid misappropriation of funds

You are to immediately transfer the courier charges of Via Western union money transfer to the below officer with these details.

MR. ARAGUA FESTUS

LOCATION: ABUJA

NIGERIA

TEST QUESTION AND ANSWER, what colour ? answer BLUE

You are to produce the informations to my email, that the officer will use in collecting the fee from the western Union office immediately the fee has been transfered.
On receipt of the Insurance fee, the officer will proceed immediately with the insurance and dispatch of the document and cheque to you, which will be delivered to you under 24hrs from receipt of the charges.


I await your response

COORDINATOR
DR SMITH OBAGA
Ecowas
http://www.fondazionedivittorio.it/


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam