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:

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:
- "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- "claims 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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +34691093246 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- santa-lucia@europe.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: spainlottery@madrid.com
Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 15:37:01 +0200
Subject: WINNER FINAL NOTIFICATION NOTICE!!!
lcgikvkbo

€URO MILLONES LOTERIA ESPAÑOL SA
PLAZA CASTELLANA 13, 29001 MADRID, SPAIN.
TEL/FAX: +34-691 093 246.
FROM: THE DESK OF MANAGING DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT.

20th ,MAY 2010

REF EMS/425911/10
BATCH NO.00979015

RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION/FINAL NOTICE.
We are pleased to inform you of the release of the EURO MILLONES INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION PROGRAMME in conjunction with INTERNATIONAL CREDITS COMPANY and WORLD DIRECTORIES held in Spain on the 1st MAY 2009 release result.
Your e-mail attached to the ticket number 032-22532881.810 with serial number 4226-19 drew the lucky numbers 19-28-31-40-44-49 which consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay € 850,810.00eur. (EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED AND TEN EUROS) in cash credited to file REF NO.EMS/425911/10. This is from a total cash prize of €5,468.770.00 euros. (FIVE MILLION, FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EUROS ) Shared among the seventeen international winners in the category 1&3. CONGRATULATIONS.
Your fund is now deposited with a security company insured in your name. Due to mixed up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award top secret from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account as this is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unwarranted taking of advantage of this program by participants.

All participants were selected through computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 names from Europe, Asia,Africa, Middle East and North America as a part of our international promotion program which we conduct once every year. We hope you will be will take part in our end of year high stake amounted to the sum €1.3 billion euros international Lottery next year.

To begin your claims, please contact your claim agent, the foreign Service manager of SANTALUCIA SECURITY COMPANY.S. L.

CONTACTS:
NAME: DON CARLOS FERNANDO
Tel: +34- 634 058 328. OR
EMAIL: santa-lucia@europe.com

For the remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice or by which option you want the money to be transfer to you contact the SANTALUCIA SECURITY COMPANY.S .L. as soon as possible.

Remember all prize money must be claimed not later than 14th day of JUNE 2010. After this date, all funds will be returned to the Ministerio de Economia y Hacienda as unclaimed against the next year ballot.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch number in every correspondence with us or your Agent, Furthermore should there be any change of address do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.

You will be paying 5% (five percent) of your total prize money to the agent after you receive the money,

Congratulations again from all members of our staff and thank you for being a part of our promotion program.

Yours sincerely,

MRS DANIEL DELGADO MARIA
(VICE PRESIDENT)
International Online Co-coordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam