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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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.

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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "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.
• 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.
  • pj_vaans@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • anthoniowithers@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "allensmith1 Gazeta.pl" <allensmith1@gazeta.pl>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 15:25:11 +0200
Subject: Urgent And Personal.


Urgent And Personal.




Dear Sir/Madam.

It is obvious that this proposal will come to you as a surprise. This is
because we have not met before but I am inspired to send you this email By
the huge fund transfer opportunity that will be of mutual benefit to the
both of us. I am Barrister Albert South the Legal Adviser and counsel to a
deceased expatriate contractor late Engr.Steve Moore a national of Isle of
Man in UK, who was an oil Consultant and a staff Contractor to Zenith Oil
and Gas Company here in lraq.

My client and his entire family died in a plane crash in cotonou, Benin
Republic on the 26th of December 2003 while on vacation. You will read more
stories about the crash on visiting this: website:
www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash. I have made several
inquiries to several Embassies to locate any of my clients extended
relatives, but my effort has proved unsuccessful.

The board of Directors of his financial lnstitution adopted a resolution and
I was mandated to provide his Next of Kin for the payment of his fund valued
at Ten Million United States Dollar (US$10,000,000,00) in his
domiciliary account with the Finance firm or forfeit the money to the
Finance company as an unclaimed fund. I want you to stand firm as a foreign
beneficiary/account owner, while we try to re-effect all paper work in your
favour as a possible distant relative of my client basing in abroad and I am
convinced that you may be able to act in focus for my late client as the
Distant Relative and his Next of Kin.

I seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin to my late client; the
bank needs only the facts as presented legally. I shall assemble all the
necessary Legal Documents needed to back up our claim. I assure you that
this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement That will
protect us from any breach of the law.

Once the transfer is effected the fund will be shared in the following
ratio: 60% to me, 30% to you while 10% has been set aside for the
reimbursement of any local and lnternational expenses.
.
Please kindly get back to me via my private email address:
pj_vaans@excite.com or anthoniowithers@excite.com, with the following
information to enable me file the application and to commence the process of
the transfer of the fund.

1. Your full Name:
2. Your Contact Address:
3. Your Telephone phone Number and fax Number:
4. Your Age/Gender:
5. Occupation:
5. Nationality.

All your information shall be kept strictly confidential.

Thanks for your co-operation.

Yours Faithfully,

Barrister Albert South.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam