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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.

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:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • ganiowo4law@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MarkDon Johnson" <markdonjohnson@terra.com.mx>
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2006 13:00:09 -0600
Subject: investment proposal (ugent)



Hello my friend,
I need a help from you.This email address was my late father's personal email. Before his death, he gave me the password to access his email that i will find a classified information in it. When i accessed the email, i discovered that he had an account with some of the banks here in Nigeria.I have consulted those banks and they responded nice to me. My late father's lawyer(who is my lawyer now) advised me to invest the money in a very profitable venture since i am still a 20 years old student. Now, i intend to invest my money abroad to an investor who will be honest with me. I want to further my studies in abroad. I have no other family here in nigeria. As the only son and beneficiary to all my fathers assets, i want to transfer $8.5million usd to a foreign account where i will finish my school.
If you will be of help,kindly get back to me or to my lawyer at ganiowo4law@yahoo.com His name is Barrister Gani Owo. I also have instructed him to look for a decent person who can receive the fund on my behalf.
Nevertheless, my name is Markdon Johnson. My father was one the chief executives of so many big oil companies here before he passed on three months ago.
Finally, your positive response does not mean that the fund will be transferred to you but you have to prove to me that my money is secured in your hand by providing a copy of your driver's license or international passport, your contact address and phone number. These things will make me believe that you will not run away with my money. Later, your bank account information will be needed for my bank to transfer the fund to you. I believe you understand why i need your assistance. I will explain more to you when your response is positive.
Thanks.
Yours faithfully,
Markdon Johnson.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam