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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:
  • "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
• 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.
  • infowesternunion01@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "eze mrlawrenc" <mrlawrenceeze066@e-mail.ua>
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 17:12:38 +0300
Subject: FROM WESTERN UNION


*

Western Union(R)
Welcome to Western Union
Send Money Worldwide

Attention:

There is an issue with the Western Union Money Transfer in the amount of (
$1.5m) One Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars directed in
cash credited to file KTU/9023118308, at the owner of this email address.
The International Monetary Funds contacted us for your compensation a couple
of hours ago due to your allocated security code.

They said that they choose to send it to an email address instead of a name;
We are unable to complete the transfer as directed to an email address,

So we require some more information in order to complete this transfer;

FULL NAME:=====
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:=====
MOBILE PHONE NUMBER:=====
OCCUPATION: =======
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:=====

In order to resolve this problem,please email Western Union
Solicitors Fund Verification Department: (
*

*infowesternunion01@gmail.com*<http://us.mc621.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=infowesternunion01@gmail.com>)



*As soon as this information is received,and you have complied with the
requirements of payment of the western union charges of $135.00, we will
make the transfer to your designated bank account or at the counter directly
from The Western Union Transferring Bank
*


*Please contact this department via e-mail (
*

*infowesternunion01@gmail.com*<http://us.mc621.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=infowesternunion01@gmail.com>)
and confirm the above information to them, also ask them to direct you on
how you will send the transfer charge of $135.00 to enable the transfer
immediately.

Here is our website *www.westernunion.com* <http://www.westernunion.com/>


*Once again, Remember to send us the required information that will enable
us transfer the $1.5m, in your name immediately,

THE MANAGEMENT OF Western Union MONEY TRANSFER WILL TRANSFER YOUR FUND TO
YOUR DESIGNATED ACCOUNT AS SOON AS THE REQUIRED INFORMATION IS CONFIRMED
Sincerely,

MR LAWRENCE EZE
Foreign Operation Manager
Western Union Money Transfer
Send Money Worldwide


*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam