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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.

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)
  • "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)
  • "30% 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)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "a reliable and reputable person to handle this" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "cotonou" (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.
  • philipaliu@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3aphilipaliu@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "philipaaliu002 Gazeta.pl" <philipaaliu002@gazeta.pl>
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 16:18:49 +0100
Subject: REQUEST OF THE TRANSFER OF $21.7M


REQUEST OF THE TRANSFER OF $21.7M

DEAR FRIEND,

FIRST I MUST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION, THIS IS BY VIRTUE
OF ITS NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL AND TOP SECRET. THOUGH I KNOW
THAT TARANSACTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL MAKE ANY ONE WORRIED BUT I AM
ASSURING YOU THAT ALL WILL BE WELL AT THE END OF THE DAY.

WE HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU DUE TO THE URGENCY OF THIS TRANSACTION, AS WE
HAVE BEEN RELIABLY INFORMED OF YOUR DISCREETNESS AND ABILITY IN TRANSACTION
OF THIS NATURE. LET ME START BY INTRODUCING MYSELF PROPERLY TO YOU.I AM
DR.PHILIP

ALIU THE MANAGER BANK OF AFRICA(B.O.A) , COTONOU BENIN .I CAME TO KNOW YOU
IN MY PRIVATE SEARCH FOR A RELIABLE AND REPUTABLE PERSON TO HANDLE THIS
CONFIDENTIAL TRANSACTION, WHICH INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF HUGE SUM OF MONEY
TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT REQUIRING MAXIMUM CONFIDENCE.

THE PROPOSITION:

A FOREIGNER AN AUSTRALIA, LATE ENGR. STEVE MOORE (SNR.) AN BUESSINE
MERCHANTWITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF BENIN, UNTIL HIS DEATH YEARS AGO IN
KENYA AIRBUS (A310-! 301) FLIGHT KQ431, BANKED WITH US AT BANK OF AFRICA
BENIN , COTONOU AND HAD A CLOSING BALANCE AS AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, 2003
WORTH US$21.7M(TWENTY ONE MILLION,SEVEN HUNDRED UNITED STATE DOLLARS). THE
BANK NOW EXPECTS A NEXT OFKIN AS BENEFICIARY.

VALUABLE EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE BY THE BANK OF AFRICAN TO GET IN TOUCH WITH
ANY OF THE MOORE'S FAMILY OR RELATIVES BUT TO NO SUCCESS. IT IS BECAUSE OF
THE PERCEIVED POSSIBILITY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCATE ANY OF LATE ENGR.
STEVE MOORE (SNR.)' S NEXT KIN (HE HAD NO WIFE OR CHILDREN THAT IS KNOWN TO
US).

THE MANAGEMENT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF OUR CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
OF DIRECTORS, THAT ARRANGE HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE FUND TO BE DECLARED
"UNCLAIMED" AND SUBSEQUENTLY BE DONATED TO THE TRUST FUND FOR ARMS AND
AMMUNITION TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE COURSE OF WAR IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD IN
GENERAL.

IN ORDER TO AVERT THIS NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENT,I NOW SEEK YOUR PERMISSION TO
HAVE YOU STAND AS NEXT OF KIN TO LATE ENGR. STEVE MOORE (SNR.) SO THAT THE
FUND US$21.7M WILL BE RELEASED AND PAID INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS THE
BENEFICIARY'S NEXT OF KIN.

ALL DOCUMENTS AND PROVES TO ENABLE YOU GET HIS FUND WILL BE CAREFULLY WORKED
OUT. I HAVE SECURED FROM THE PROBATE AN ORDER OF MADAMUS TO LOCATE ANY OF
DECEASED BENEFICIARIES, AND MORE SO I AM ASSURING YOU THAT THIS BUSINESS IS
100% RISK FREE INVOLVEMENT.

YOUR SHARE STAYS WHILE THE REST BE FOR MYSELF FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSE.
ACCORDING TO AGREEMENT WITHIN BOTH PARTIES.

AS SOON AS I RECEIVE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT OF THIS MESSAGE IN
ACCEPTANCE OF OUR MUTUAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL, WE WOULD FURNISH YOU WITH THE
NECESSARY MODALITIES AND DISBURSEMENT RATIO TO SUITE BOTH PARTIES WITH OUT
ANY CONFLICT.

WHILE REPLYING FURNISH ME WITH YOUR PRIVATE FAX AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR EASY
COMMUNICATION,BANK NAME,BANK ACCOUNTNUMBER,COMPANIES NAME AND ADDRESS.

THE SHARING OF THE FUND ARE THUS: 30% FOR YOU THE ACCOUNT OWNER,60% FOR I
AND MY TRUSTED COLLEAGUES AND THE REMAINNING 10% FOR EXPENSES FOR BOTH
PARTIES. IF THIS PROPOSAL IS ACCEPTABLE BY YOU, DO NOT MAKE UNDUE ADVANTAGE
OF THE TRUST I HAVE BESTOWED IN YOU. YOU ARE NOW ADVISED TO REPLY THIS EMAIL
USING MY PRIVATE EMAIL:philipaliu@yahoo.com <EMAIL%3Aphilipaliu@yahoo.com>.

BEST REGARDS,

DR. PHILIP ALIU

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam