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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • ",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.
  • +447011138046 (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.
  • contactclaimsagenthamilton@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: British National Lottery <contactclaimsagenthamilton@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:56:41 +0200
Subject: DEAR SELECTED WINNER

British National Lottery,
28 Tan Field Road,
Croydon,London.
Ref: UKNL-L/200-2693

Dear Selected winner,

This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash Price of 1,000,000.00
(One Million Pounds Sterling) in cash credited to file UKNL-L/200-26937.
from International programme held on the 19th of october 2007 in the United Kindom.

The selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerised email selection system from a database of over 250,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world which your email was among the first ten (10) lucky winners.
Contact the verification department by providing your Reference Number UKNL-L/200-2693.

You are also advised to provide him with the under listed informations.
1. Full Names;
2. Full Contact Address;
3. Nationality & Present Country;
4. Age;
5. Phone/Fax;
6. Sex;
7. Occupation;

CONTACT PERSON: Mr. Allen M. Hamilton
TEL: +44 701 113 8046
Email: contactclaimsagenthamilton@yahoo.co.uk

Yours Truly,
Elizabeth Townsend (Mrs) Co-Coordinator
(Online Promo Programme).




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam