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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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• 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:

• 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 agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +27739727660 (South Africa, 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.
  • charlesdlomo@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: ukmillions3@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:15:47 -0800
Subject: Congratulations!

FINAL NOTICE

UK Millions Lottery Inc.
Your Claim Number: ESC /11500369/25

We are pleased to inform you, that you are one of the lucky winners of
lottery draw held recently on Friday 04 September 2007. Your ticket with
Serial number 67739252 drew the lucky winning numbers in the third category.
You are therefore entitled to a payout of £96,000.00 (Ninety Six Thousand,
Pound sterling only) payable to you by Electronic Transfer, bank draft, or certified check.

This draw was held for people who have entered for the National lotteries in
respective countries in the past, but did not win, and also for senior citizens.
It is one of our ways of compensating them for their loyalty and patronage
through the years.

In line with the stipulated regulations, you are requested to contact
your regional claims agent, Charles Dlomo on tel: +27-73-972-7660 email: charlesdlomo@yahoo.com
with below details on receipt of this notice for further instructions on how to claim your
winning.
(I) (I) Serial Batch No: 83200-0
(II) Winning Number: 1, 5, 1, 8, 2 Bonus 11, 03
(III) Ref No: 175-02906041-216.
(II) 1, Your Full Name
2, Wining and Reference numbers.
3, Telephone & Mobile number.

NOTE: The claim number above is your secret identification
code. Hence, you are advised to keep this mail to yourself to avoid anybody
impersonating you.

Congratulations!

Sincerely yours,
Mrs. Lila Mostek
Lottery Coordinator.
*******************************************************************
This e-mail is confidential and privileged. Please do not copy,
disclose or distribute information in this e-mail: to do so is
strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are under the age
of 18 kindly inform our claim office that this message has gone
astray before deleting it. Thank you for your co-operation.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam