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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million us dollars" (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)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "lome togo" (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 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.
  • laser_0065@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: John Laser <johnlaser01@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: laser_0065@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 00:57:47 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Your Attantion is Needed..


FROM MR.JOHN LASER
AUDITING DEPARTMENT
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
ECOWAS BUILDING
BOULEVARD POMPIDO BIGHETT
LOME TOGO.

Dear Friend,

I have a proposal for you - this however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to honour against your will. I am 50 year old, and work with a bank (one of the African leading banks in the West Coast). Here in this bank existed a dormant account for the past 8 years which belong to a American national who is now late Gerard St. Germain who died on Egypt Air flight 1990.

When I discovered that there had been no deposits nor withdrawals from
this account for this long period, I decided to carry out a system
investigation and discovered that non of the family member nor
relations of the late person is aware of this account. This is the story in a
nutshell.

Now I want an account overseas where the bank will transfer this
funds.Thereafter, I had planned to destroy all related documents for
this account. It is a careful network and for the past eleven months I have
worked out everything to ensure a hitch-free operation. The amount is
not so much at the moment and plus all the accumulated interest the balance
in this account stands at-(US$ 9.5 million US dollars).

Now my questions are:-
1. Can you handle this project?
2. Can I give you this trust?
3. can you sponsor this transfer.

If you can what will be your commission? Consider this and get back at
us as soon as possible.

Finally, it is our humble prayer that the information as contained
herein be accorded the necessary attention, urgency as well as the
secrecy it deserves. I Expect your urgent response if you can handle this
project. please sent me mail to my privert Email address:
(laser_0065@yahoo.com).

Respectfully yours,
Mr. John Laser


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam