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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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:
  • "fiduciary 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 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.
  • judithelliotmrs@yahoo.de (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: MRS MARY SAMUEL <marysamuelmrs@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: lotteryagentsuzan1@yahoo.es
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 13:25:51 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Your Prize


Customer Service
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

We happily announce to you the draw of the UK-LOTTO Sweepstake
Lottery International program held on 2nd APRIL 2008
In LEEDS UNITED KINGDOM
Your e-mail address was attached to ticket number: 564
75600545 188 and Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers:
02-06-21-23-43-47-29
Which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd Category
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
US$854,000 (Eight hundred and fifty four Thousand United States
Dollars)
To file for your claim, Please contact our fiduciary agent:

MRS JUDITH ELLIOT
judithelliotmrs@yahoo.de

You can go to our online result site to confirm the
Value of your
Winnings and also get a prize breakdown: -

Thank you for being part of our promotional lottery program.
Sincerely,

MARY SAMUEL
UK-LOTTO CO-ORDINATOR

---------------------------------
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam