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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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (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 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.
  • atlasfinservices@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: atlasfinservices@aim.com
Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:30:18 +0100
Subject: Congratulation! Your e-mail has won a microsoft prize



EXPERTLOTTO SWEEPSTAKES
www.ExpertLotto.com
REF:010/12/08WGB.
BATCH: NLD31/1.

Sir/Madam,

AWARD WINNINGNOTIFICATION:
We happily notify you of the draw of the Email
Lottery Ballot / World Gaming Board Sweepstakes program held
on the 24th of AUGUST, 2008. Your email address attached to
ticket Nr: 11311522 drew Lucky N: 15-17-31-19-21, which
consequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category. You
have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
(€721,560.00. Euros only), in cash credited to file REF
Nr: 010/12/08WGB. This is from a total cash prize of
(€7,937,160.00 Euros only), shared amongst the eleven
International winners in this category. All participants
were selected randomly from the World Wide Web through a
computer Ballot System drawn From over 100,000 unions that
are listed online. Microsoft Corporation, names from
Australia, New Zealand, America, Europe, North America and
Asia as part of International Promotions Program, which
takes place every year. Payment authority of your prize -
€721,560.00. Euros only, already paid and insured in
your name with our accredited Paying bank will be issued to
effect immediate / swift transfer in the mode you will
prefer and designate, upon satisfactory report on
verification and validation recommendations provided by our
Claims Security Agent. To file for your claim, please
contact your Claim Agent; Mr. Malcolm WELTEN, The Foreign
Service Manager of ATLAS FINANCIAL SERVICES.
on Tel:316818-016-64. E-mail: Atlasfinservices@aim.com

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning
information
confidential until your claim is processed and your money
remitted to you and remember to quote your Reference and
Batch numbers in all your correspondences. All winnings must
be claimed not later than 5th of OCT. 2008. After this
date, all unclaimed funds will be withdrawn.Congratulations
once more from all our members of staff.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Rita Van der Boem.
(Program Co-coordinator).
www.ExpertLotto.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam