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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "% will be for you" (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)
  • "this business is hitch free " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +22995867954 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • hanifahmed73@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: hanifahmed1@zipmail.com.br
Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 10:56:38 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?From=3AThe=20Desk=20of=20Mr=2EHanif=20Ahmed=20=2E?=

From:The Desk of Mr.Hanif Ahmed .
Bill And Exchange Manager,
SPRING BANK PLC.-(SBP).
Email:hanifahmed73@myway.com
Telephone: +229 95 86 79 54

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVATE.

Dear Friend,

Compliments of the day. I deceided to contact you after I received your
informations on the net,in search of a partner for this business.Hence I
confide in you.

I am Hanif Ahmed ,from (SPRINGBANK PLC.)During the course of our auditing
we discovered the sum ofUS$15,500,000.00(Fiffteen Million Five Hundred Thousand
Dollars) floating in an account opened in this Bank since 1999 and as from
2003 nobody has operated on this account again, and after going through
some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account
died without a [HEIR]Dec.26th 2003 by plane crash, hence the money is floating.

VIEW THIS WEB SITE http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html

After due verification I noticed that no other person knows about this account
except his wife who was also invovled in the crash, and the account has
no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that until
his death,Since our bank,(SPRING BANK PLC.).Benin Rep.got informations about
his death.

We have been expecting his next of kin tocome forward and claim his money
because wecannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin
or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines and policies
but up to date nobody came up to this bank as his next of kin or relative.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I in my department now decided
to make this businness proposal to you and release the money to you as the
next of kin or elation to the decea sed for safety and subsequent disbursement
since nobody is coming forth and we don't want this money to go into the
Bank treasury as unclaimed Bill.

On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the nextof
kin as no one has come up as his relation. And the country law here does
not allow such money to stay more than 4 years, for the money will be recalled
to the government treasury as unclaimed after this period.Upon the receipt
of your response, I will send to you the application form,banks contact
and the next step to take.

I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch free
and that you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for fund transfer
can be finalized within fourteen banking days, after you apply to the bank
as a relation to the deceased.

It has been resolved that 35% will be for you while 5% has been maped out
to defray any expences that might be incured during the process of the ransaction.

Then 60% will be for me which shall be release after thefundsmust have been
remitted into your bank account. When you receive this letter, kindly send
me an e-mail signifying your decision.Including your private Tel/Fax numbers
for quick communication.I will be very happy if you can treat this business
with the utmost secrecy it demands because of my position in this bank.For
confidentiality reasons.

Hoping for a very successful business relationship with you.

Pls Reply Me At My Private Email(hanifahmed73@myway.com)

Best Regards,
Mr.Hanif Ahmed

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam