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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "money orders " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
  • "money order " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
  • "cheques " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
  • "cashiers check" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
• MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • +447031842933 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • dearmcdonald01@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "william mcdonald" <w_mcdonald103@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: dearmcdonald01@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 03:13:55 -0900
Subject: PLEASE REPRESENT US!!!

ACTEXO TEXTILE LIMITED
678 windermear way prestwich
Manchester
EC4N 6JP
England
Telephone:+44-703-184-2933
Telephone:+44-703-192-6985

Good Day,
Let me start by introducing myself,My name is Williams McDonald and I own a
company(SKL GLOBAL FINANCE INTERNATIONAL) that sells Chinese and African
textile and fabric material in United Kingdom,I am looking for a trustworthy
representative in USA /Canada that can help as a link between me and my
client over there.I would like to know if you are interested to work from
home for us ACTEXO TEXTILE LIMITED needs a book-keeper or representative in
the states,so I want to know if you will like to work on line from home and
get paid weekly without leaving or affecting your present job.I presently
run a textile and fabrics firm in United Kingdom and we need someone to work
for the company as a representative/book keeper in Canada/USA.
My company produces various clothing materials, batiks, assorted fabrics
and traditional costumes.We have clients we supply weekly in the states and
my clients make payments for our supplies every week in form of money
orders or cashiers check which are not readily cashable outside the US or
Canada,so we need someone in the States/Canada to work as our representative
and assist us in processing the payments from our clients and I will pay
him/her a weekly wage, by percentage.
All you need to do is receive this payment from our clients in the States or
Canada and get it cashed in your bank then deduct your 10% and forward the
balance to the company down here via money gram or western union money
transfer.The main reason why the funds cannot be cashed down here is that it
would take 24-28 days for a a US money order to pass through the bank here
an d that would tie down my capital and not make business move fast as i
Expected,but a US money order presented to the bank in the US would clear
latest within 48hrs and the person that used to help me cash the money
orders before that is my former representative has moved to Germany with his
family.
Our payments will be issued out in your name and you get them cashed in your
bank, deduct your 10% of the initial capital and forward the balance to the
company by money transfer.
So all I need is to forward your information to our numerous clients in the
states or Canada and they will contact you before they issue payment in form
of money order or cheques then send it via courier or mail to you.
If accepted I will need your full name, address and phone number so we can
send it to our clients and they will start making payments to you as the
company representative in the states.
BEFORE OUR CLIENTS COMMENCE PAYMENTS,YOU WOULD HAVE TO REPLY WITH AN
ACCEPTANCE LETTER AND A SCANNED COPY OF YOUR VALID IDENTIFICATION ATTACHED
TO IT.
AS SOON AS WE CONFIRM ANY PAYMENT COMING TO YOU,I WILL LET YOU KNOW AND I
WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION TO SEND FUNDS TO THE COMPANY VIA MONEYGRAM OR
WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
NB:Please reply me via my alternative email:
dearmcdonald01@yahoo.com
Thanks and I await your sooner response.
Williams McDonald

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam