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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "huge sum of money" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "transfer into your account" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348023434277 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Okolo Harrison" <okoloharry10@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: okoloharrison@myway.com
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 07:56:00 -0800
Subject: ATTEN: SIR/MADAM (MAY THE SUCCESS BE YOUR POSSION) AMEN

MR.OKOLO HARRISON
LAGOS NIGERIA WEST AFRICA.

ATTEN: SIR/MADAM,

REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP
FIRSTLY, I MUST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENTIALITY. THIS IS BY VIRTUE OF
IT'S NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY " CONFIDENTIAL" AND "TOP SECRET". THOUGH
I KNOW THAT A TRANSACTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL MAKE ANYONE
APPREHENSIVE AND WORRIED, BUT I AM ASSURING YOU THAT ALL WILL BE WELL
AT THE END OF THE DAY. A BOLD STEP TAKEN SHALL NOT BE REGRETTED I
ASSURE YOU.

I AM MR.OKOLO HARRISON. AND I HEAD A SEVEN MAN TENDER BOARD IN CHARGE
OF CONTRACT AWARDING AND PAYMENT APPROVALS. I CAME TO KNOW OF YOU IN
MY SEARCH FOR A RELIABLE AND REPUTABLE PERSON TO HANDLE A VERY
CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS TRANSACTION, WHICH INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF A
HUGE SUM OF MONEY TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT REQUIRING MAXIMIUM CONFIDENCE.
MY COLLEAGUES AND I ARE TOP OFFICIAL OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACT
REVIEW AND AWARDING PANEL OF NIGERIA. OUR DUTIES INCLUDE
EVALUATION,VETTING, AND APPROVAL FOR PAYMENT OF CONTRACT JOBS DONE
FOR THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF AVIATION(FMA) ETC.

WE ARE THEREFORE SOLICITING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO ENABLE US TRANSFER
INTO YOUR ACCOUNT THE SAID FUNDS. OUR COUNTRY LOOSES A LOT OF MONEY
EVERYDAY THAT IS WHY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS VERY CAREFUL AND
WARNING THEIR CITIZENS TO BE CAREFUL BUT I TELL YOU "A TRIAL WILL
CONVINCE YOU".

THE SOURCE OF THE FUND IS AS FOLLOW: DURING THE LAST MILITARY REGIME
HERE IN NIGERIA, THIS COMMITTEE AWARDED A CONTRACT OF US$400 MILLION
TO A GROUP OF FIVE CONSTRUCTION FIRMS ON BEHALF OF THE FEDERAL
MINISTRY OF AVIATION (FMA)FOR THE SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF LANDING
AND NAVIGATIONAL EQUIPMENT IN LAGOS AND PORT HARCOURT INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORTS.

DURING THIS PROCESS MY COLLEAGUES AND I DECIDED AMONG US TO
DELIBERATELY OVER INFLATE THE TOTAL CONTRACT SUM OF US$428 MILLION
WITH THE AIM OF SHARING THE REMAINING SUM OF US$20.5 MILLION.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS SINCE APPROVED THE SUM OF US$420.5 MILLION FOR US
AS THE CONTRACT SUM, BUT SINCE THE CONTRACT IS ONLY WORTH US$400M THE
REMAINING US$20.5 MILLION IS WHAT WE INTEND TO TRANSFER TO A RELIABLE
AND SAFE OFFSHORE ACCOUNT,WE ARE PROHIBITED TO OPERATE FOREIGN
ACCOUNT IN OUR NAMES SINCE WE ARE STILL IN GOVERNMENT.

THUS, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO ACQUIRE THE MONEY IN OUR NAME
RIGHT NOW, I HAVE THEREFORE BEEN DELEGATED AS A MATTER OF TRUST BY MY
COLLEAGUES TO LOOK FOR AN OVERSEA PARTNER INTO WHOSE ACCOUNT WE CAN
TRANSFER THE SUM OF US$20.5 MILLION.

MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE DECIDED THAT IF YOU/YOUR COMPANY CAN AS THE
BENEFICIARY OF THIS FUNDS ON OUR BEHALF, YOU OR YOUR COMPANY WILL
RETAIN 20% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT (US$20.5 MILLION)WHILE 75% WILL BE FOR
US (OFFICIALS) AND THE REMAINING 5% WILL BE USED IN OFFSETTING ALL
DEBTS/EXPENSES INCURRED DURING THIS TRANSFER.

WE HAVE DECIDED THAT THIS TRANSACTION CAN ONLY PROCEEDUNDER THE FOLLOWING
CONDITION

(A) OUR CONVICTION OF YOUR TRANSPARENT HONESTY AND THAT YOU TREAT THIS
TRANSACTION WITH UTMOST SECRECY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
(B) THAT UPON RECEIPT OF THE FUNDS YOU WILL RELEASE THE FUNDS AS
INSTRUCTED BY US AFTER YOU'VE REMOVED YOUR SHARE OF 20%. I WILL BRING
YOU INTO THE COMPLETE OF THIS TRANSACTION WHEN I'VE HEARD
FROM YOU.

YOUR URGENT RESPONSE WILL BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED AS WE ARE ALREADY
BEHIND SCHEDULE FOR THE FINANCIAL QUARTER. PLEASE DO BE INFORMED THAT
THIS BUSINESS TRANSACTION IS 100% LEGAL AND COMPLETELY FREE FROM DRUG
OR MONEY LAUNDERING.

ONLY TRUST CAN MAKE THE REALITY OF THIS TRANSACTION.
BEST REGARDS.

OKOLO HARRISON
TEL: 234-8023434277

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam