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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:

• 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)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • rebeca_onu001@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Rev
Reply-To: princeabdul12345@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2006 15:22:33 +0400
Subject: VERY URGENT


From the desk of:
Rev,Mrs.Rebeca ONU
Owena bank ltd
Lagos,Nigeria.
rebeca_onu001@yahoo.com
Dear Sir/Ma
I am Rev,Mrs.Rebeca ONU,Bank Manager of Owena bank ltd,Lagos Branch.I got
your
contact from the world trade center (WTC) Regional office in
lagos,Nigeria.Although the details of my intention was not made known
to
them.Actually,I listed your name amongst four other names & prayed over
them & decided tocontact you directly.I have a very urgent &
confidential
bussiness proposition for you & for our overall mutual interest.
On june 6 1997,an American oil consultant/contractor with the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation Mr Barry Kelly made a numbered
time(fixed)
deposit for twelve calendar months,valued at
USD$25,000,000.00(twentyfive
million dollars) in my branch.Upon maturity,i sent a routine
notification to his forwarded address but got no reply.After a month we
sent
a reminder,& finally we discovered from his contract employers
NNPC,that
Mr.Barry died in an automobile accident.
On further investigation,i found out that he did not leave a WILL &
allattempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless.I therefore made
further
investigation & discovered that Mr.Barry did not declare any next of
kin in
all his official documents,including his bank deposit paperwork.
This sum USD$25,000,000.00 is still floating in the bank and the
interest is
being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year.No one
will
come forward to claim it.According to Nigerian Laws, At the expiration
of 7
years,the money will revert to the ownership of the Nigerian government
if
nobody applies to claim the funds. Consequently,my proposal is that i
will
like you as a foreigner to stand in as a next of kin of Mr Barry
Kelly.This
is simple,
(1)I will like you to provide me immediately with your full names &
addressso that the attorney will prepare the necessary documents &
affidavits,which will put you as next of kin.
(2)We shall employ the services of two attorneys for drafting &
notarization
of the WILL and obtain the necessary documents and letter of
probate/admi
nistration in your favour for the transfer.
(3)A bank account in any part of the world,which you will provide to
facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary.
The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio
of 60%
for me and 40% for you. There is no risk at all as the attorney and my
position will do the paperwork for this transaction as the branch
managerguarantees the successful execution of this transaction.If you
are
interested,please reply immediately via this private email address.
Upon
your response,I shall then provide you with more details and relevant
documents that will help you understand.
PLEASE OBSERVE UTMOST CONFIDENTIALITY,and be rest assured that this
would be
most profitable for both of us because i shall require your assistance
to
invest my share in your country. Awaiting yoururgent replyvia this
email
above,please save me the anxiety of endless
waiting.
God bless you.
Rev,Mrs.Rebeca ONU
Owena bank ltd.
Lagos,Nigeria.
Please reply to this my private email account; rebeca_onu001@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam