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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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.
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • office.info@megamail.pt (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <office.info@megamail.pt>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:19:17 +0000
Subject: RESPOND ASAP.




Good Day.

This is from African Union (AU) Anti-fraud team in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) in regards to the extensive raid (arrests) on Internet scammers. Due to the high rate of complain we have been receiving from United Nations (UN) on the level of Scam artists/fraudsters with African nationality. All the Internet Service Providers had noticed the increased email traffic originating from Africa to other continents.

In this raid, three hundred and six (306) scammers were arrested so far and the raid is still on. We have recovered the total sum of US$1.2 Billion from them in both cash and assets, confirmed to have come from their victims. As we have found hundreds of thousands of email addresses of victims from their address books. It is at this juncture that we are contacting you.

The African Union (AU) with the United Nation (UN) are making refunds of US$750,000.00 each to victims among whom his/her email address was listed on the scammer's address books.

Confirm through this email ( office.info@megamail.pt ) if you are the true possessor of this email, and provide us with the following information for your refund.

Your Names:
Sex:
Age:
Nationality:
Tel number:
mailing address:

Upon receipt of your reply and confirmation of the information, Your refund check/atm card will be signed.

Mr. Andrew Jameison A.
(Safety & Security Minister)
African Union Anti-Fraud Unit.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam