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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

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)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was sent to thousands of people)
  • "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.
  • erkmadu3@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Erik=20Madu?= <erkmadu3@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: ericmmadu2@myway.com
Date: Mon, 1 May 2006 08:44:22 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: URGENT TRANSFER


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: erkmadu3@yahoo.co.uk

URGENT TRANSFER

FROM THE DESK OF:

DR.ERIK MADU.

ACCOUNTANT.

UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC.,

V/ISLAND LAGOS.


ATTN:SIR/MA


I am Dr.Erik Madu. an accountant with THE UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC and I need your assistance in remmitting a huge ammount of money to your bank account this money which originally belongs to Late Mr. Charles Fredrick a national of your country who until his death was an employee with Shell Oil Company in Nigeria,he died in a Plane Crash with members of his families 5 years ago,since then we have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of the extended relatives and this has proved unsuccessful.


After several unsuccessful attempts I decided to track his name over the Internet to locate any member of his family.I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by Mr. Charles Fredrick before the bank confiscate or declares it unserviceable.


Note that after final discusions with one of my superior in the TELEX DEPARTMENT we arrived at contacting you as the next of kin to claim this fund into your nimminatted bank account before the account is declared confiscated,note also that this transfer will be concluded within the next (7) seven official working days.


I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased as I have carefully search through the internet to locate someone whom I will present as the next of kin to the deceased and I need your cooperation so that the US$15 Million Dollars can be remmitted to your Account and then we can share the money,25% to you and 70% for us, while 5% will take care of all expenses that might be incurred on the course of the transfer.


All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I advise that you send across your full name,contact address,direct phone and fax numbers for prompt communication and I guarantee that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate atmosphere that will protect you from any breach of transaction / law.


Call me on my number +234-1-776-8029


Regards,


DR.ERIK MADU.

ACCOUNTANT.

UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC.,

- Erik Madu

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam