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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
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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:
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +34634002559 (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.
  • navisag@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: raquel@euromilloneslotto.info
Reply-To: navisag@aim.com
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:42:47 +0000
Subject: Notification!!!!!!!!!!!!!


THE FREE PROMO COMPANY
SPANISH HEAD OFFICE,
MADRID, SPAIN.
www.freelotto.com
Dear Winner,


RE: WINNING NOTIFICATION.
We are pleased to announce you as third category winner of this years
annual Free Lotto Award All winning addresses were randomly selected from a
batch of 50,000,000 international emails Consequently, you have therefore been
approved for a total pay out of 550,000.euros (Five hundred and fifty thousand euros)
only The following particulars were attached to your lotto payment order.

(i)Ticket number:
624381734-1112
(ii) Batch Number:
JVHN/21/294/VHIT
(II) Lottery Ref Number:
TSR1242-BGR1034/06
(III) your security file
number is ES-423215341P. Please contact

The under listed claims officer as soon as possible for the immediate
release of your winnings:
Name:Mr.John Carlos
Navis Insurance Company
Email: navisag@aim.com
TEL: +34-634-002-559
Kindly send the following information
(i) Your names,

(ii) Contact telephone and fax numbers

(iii) Contact Address

(iv) Your winning numbers
Congratulations once again

Yours sincerely,
Mrs Nora Hendris
For Claims Officer
The Lotto Company, Spain

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam