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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "cotonou" (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.

Fraud email example:

From: "Peter Greg" <pettergreg123@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: petergreg@myway.com
Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2006 13:43:59 +0100
Subject: Business Relationship

Dear Friend,

Your e-mail address came up in a random draw

conducted by our law firm, (Greg & Co Chambers,) in

Lagos,Nigeria. I am Barrister Peter Greg, the Legal

Adviser and counsel to a deceased expatriate contractor

(Mr. Philip wang) who used to work with Zenith Oil and

Gas Company here in Nigeria thereafter shall be referred

as my late client.On the December 26th 2003, my client

and his entire family died in a plane crash in cotonou,

Benin Republic. You will read more stories about the

crash on visiting

thiswebsite:www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin

.crash/ he
was a well known philanthropist before he died, he made

a Will stating that $9.2m(Nine Million Two Hundred

Thousand USA Dollars Only) deposited at EQUITY BANK

NIGERIA PLC should be donated to any Philanthropist of

our choice overseas.We have made a random draw

where your e-mail address was picked as the beneficiary

to this Will.

I am particularly interested in securing this money from

the bank, because they have issued a notice instructing

us to produce the beneficiary of this Will within two

weeks or else the money will be credited to the

Government treasury as per law here.
It is my outmost desire to execute the Will of our late

client (Mr. Philip wang) in your favour and therefore, you

are required to contact me immediately to start the

process of sending this money to any of your designated

official account. However, I want you to forward to me

your

FULL NAMES :
ADDRESS :
OCCUPATION :
PHONE NUMBER:
AGE :
NATIONALITY :
MARRIAGE STATUS:

Upon the receipt of the aboved informations i will forward

to you the address to the bank where you shall file your

application to, as the bank has already make request for

this to enable them issue the beneficiary certificate in

your favour. Please act fast and contact me via my

private email address, for further details and clarifications
Regards,
Barrister Peter Greg

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam