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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• 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:
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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:
  • "tax clearance" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • michael_stevens@fsmail.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Richard Greyham <larisa.nitskaya53@virgin.net>
Reply-To: michael_stevens@fsmail.net
Date: Thu, 11 May 2006 09:07:26 +0100
Subject: a private financial consultant


Hello,
I am Michael Stevens, a Private Investigator
based in Europe. One of my clients in Yamoussoukro,ivory coast
contacted me with a proposal. I am to contact you and
state her offer; if your interest is genuine,
You will be contacted for your account details into
which the sum of US$6,700,000.00 will be transferred.
20% of it goes to you for your assistance; you will
then be required to forward the balance (minus the
interest, handling and tax clearance charges, which
will be settled by us & deducted from the transferred
sum) to an account I will provide. I don't think I
need
to spell out the
importance of secrecy in this matter considering the
amount of money involved. Let me state clearly that
the
account you are to provide does not need to have funds
in it and we have chosen a bank in the Philippines and
one the U.K where no questions will be asked about the
source of the funds or any clearance demands made on
it. It only needs to be active and should be able to
receive funds. If I don't hear from you within three
days I will assume you are not interested and will
search for a new partner; if you are, send me a
reply. In your reply send me your telephone and fax
numbers so that we can communicate properly.
This is important as we will have to talk about the
modalities of this transaction. Please send your reply
to my other email address michael_stevens@fsmail.net.

Yours Faithfully,
Michael Stevens

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam