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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
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• 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:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • frank_erichard@yahoo.dk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "frank_erichard" <frank_erichard@terra.com.mx>
Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2006 05:38:04 -0600
Subject: OFFICE OF THE FRANK E RICHARD


OFFICE OF THE FRANK E RICHARD
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT

I am Barrister Frank E Richard , a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to late Mr. Robert Koorn the African Area Director of SIL International, who unfortunately died in the crash of Kenya Airways Flight 431 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, January 30 2000.

Since the death of Koorn's I as his personal attorney, have made several enquiries to locate his only surviving relation, without any success. I came across your name and contact on the course of my personal searching for Koorn's relations, so I decided to contact you for this project. I am contacting you to assist in repatriating and securing the wealth left behind in a fixed deposit account by Robert,before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by Eco Bank Plc where my client operates an account worth $USD7.5 Million Dollars.

The board of Eco Bank Plc has issued me a notice that after 2 months from now and no next of kin shown up for the claiming of the said funds, the funds will be confiscated and declared unserviceable. Since I and my team have been unsuccessful i locating Robert's relatives for sometime now,it on this note that I seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin of the deceased since you are a foreigner,so that the proceed of this deposit valued at $USD7.5 Million Dollars can be released to you for ourdisbursments. I and my team have agreed to offer you25% of the total sum,Upon successful remittance of funds into your bank account,5% has been set aside to cover all expenses incurred both local and international, during the course of this transfer.,while 70% will befor me and my team.

All requires is your honest cooperation to enable us see this business successful. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement which will protect you from any breach of the law. Robert was a very good man and it is not wise for me to allow his hard earned wealth to be stolen by the greedy directors of Eco Bank Plc.Further details awaits your response by email.PLEASE, TREAT THIS PROPOSAL AS TOP SECRET. Do not hesitate to include your private phone and fax number,when replying this proposal,you can also email me on this alternative emailaddress:frank_erichard@yahoo.dk

Yours faithfully,

Barrister Frank E Richard(Esq)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam