419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "national lottery promotion" (no such lottery exists)
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
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!

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: info.ibcdeliveryunituk02@verizon.net
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:27:32 GMT
Subject: The U.K. National Lottery Xmas Promo!!!(Congratulations)

The U=2EK=2E National Lottery
12 Bridge Street=2C
Staines Middlesex TW18 4TP
United Kingdom=2E

Ref=3A LSUK/2031/8161/05
Batch=3A R3/A312-59 =

Ticket Number=3A 564 75600545-188

Dear Winner=2C
We are pleased to inform you today of the End of year Promo announcement=
for winners of the BRITISH INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY ONLINE PROMO PROGRAMME=
as the UK Lottery Xmas millionaire!=22 Congratulations=2Cyour e-mail ha=
ve just won you the sum of
=A3956=2C420=2E00=2C pounds in the satellite software email lottery cond=
ucted by BRITISH INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROMOTION held 19th of
November 2008 in which your e-mail address was randomly selected by soft=
ware powered by the Internet as the Lottery =

millionaire!=22=2EYour email address was amongst those chosen this quart=
er and you are to contact our AFFILIATED COURIER COMPANY for delivery of=
your certificate=2Ccheque of =A3956=2C420=2E00=2CA Dell Inspiron 6400 L=
aptop=2C A British Lottery Branded T-shirt and A =

British Lottery Branded Baseball cap=2E When contacting the courier comp=
any you are to include this order Number 58412013 as =

your secret number of your parcel to the courier company=2EPlease forwar=
d your Name and Ticket number to MR HARRY SMITH The =

Head of Deliveries (INTERNATIONAL BONDED COURIERS)

COURIER DELIVERY DEPARTMENT CONTACT INFORMATION=3A
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
INTERNATIONAL BONDED COURIERS LONDON
DISPATCH OFFICER=3A MR=2E HARRY SMITH
HEAD OF DELIVERIER=2E
OFFICE MOBILE=3A +44- 703- 191- 4772
+44- 703- 199- 5586 =

Email=3A info=2Eibcdeliveryunituk02=40verizon=2Enet
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Please oblige to follow the courier company instructions so that your wi=
nning parcel and your wininng documents can get to your present address =
on time=2E

Congratulations once more!!!

Yours Truly=2C
Sir Richard K=2E Lloyd=2E =26 Chovn=C3=A1 Jednota
Co-ordinators(Online Promo Pro gramme)=2E
British National Lottery Headquarters (UK)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam