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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "million united states 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)
  • "million 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)
  • ",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)
  • "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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• 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.
  • +27833402830 (South Africa, 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.
  • cynthia_carroll2007@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "cynthiacarroll6 Gazeta.pl" <cynthiacarroll6@gazeta.pl>
Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:48:22 +0200
Subject: Good day


MS.CYNTHIA CARROLL
ANGLOGOLD CO.S/A
OFFICE ADDRESS: 76 JEPPE STREET NEWTOWN, JOHANNESBURG
GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA
DIRECT PHONE LINE: +27-83-340-2830
HTTP: www.anglogoldashanti.co.za

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

IT IS WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THAT I WRITE TO REVEAL THIS URGENT BUSINESS
PROPOSAL TO YOU. I WAS ASSIGNED BY MY COLLEAGUES TO FIND A FOREIGN PARTNER
WHO WILL ASSIST US IN PROVIDING AN OVERSEAS BANK ACCOUNT FOR THE TRANSFER OF
US$10,000,000.00 (TEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) THE ACTUAL
CONTRACTVALUE WAS US$120 MILLON (ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS
ONLY), BUT MY COLLEAGUES AND I BEING MEMBER OF THE CONTRACT AWARD/ REVIEW
COMMITTEE OVER INFLATED THE CONTRACT SUM TO US$130 MILLION(ONE HUNDRED AND
THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS ONLY), WITH THE INTENTION OF SHARING THE REMAINING
BALANCE OF US$10 MILLION.

WE THEREFORE WANT TO TRANSFER OUT OF THE COUNTRY IN OUR FAVOUR FOR
DISBURSEMENT AMONG OURSELVES THE SUM OF US$10 MILLION ONLY. ALSO WE AGREED
THAT IF YOU/YOUR COMPANY CAN ACT AS THE BENEFICIARY OF THIS FUND, WE WILL
TRANSFER THE FUND TO YOUR ACCOUNT AND YOU WILL RETAIN 25% OF THE TOTAL FUND
FOR THE ASSISTANCE RENDERED, WHILE 70% WILL BE FOR US AND THE BALANCE OF 5%
WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR THE EXPENSES THAT MIGHT BE INCURRED BY BOTH PARTIES
DURING THE PROCESS OF THE FUND TRANSFER.

THE TRANSACTION WILL TAKE TEN WORKING DAYS. WE REQUEST YOU CO-OPERATE WITH
US AND PROVIDE A CONVENIENT ACCOUNT NUMBER IN DESIGNATED BANK WHERE THIS
FUND CAN BE SAFELY TRANSFER TO, WE INTEND TO COME OVER THERE ON THE
COMPLETION OF THE FUND TRANSFER TO SECURE OUR SHARE.PLEASE, NOTE THAT WE
HAVE BEEN CAREFUL AND HAVE WORKED OUT ALL THE MODALITIES FOR A SMOOTH
TRANSFER OF THE FUND TO YOUR CHOSEN BANK ACCOUNT BEFORE CONTACTING YOU.

THEREFORE, YOU ARE ADVISED NOT TO EXPOSE THIS PROPOSAL TO ANYBODY FOR THE
PURPOSE OF SECURITY AND ITS CONFIDENTIAL NATURE, WE ALSO BELIEVE YOU WOULD
NOT SIT ON OUR MONEY WHEN TRANSFER INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS YOU WILL GET YOUR
100% SHARE.
BE REST ASSURED THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE, IF THIS PROPOSAL IS
ACCEPTED, PLEASE CONTACT US THROUGH THE ABOVE MAIL OR TELEPHONE BY
INDICATING YOUR INTEREST AND SENDING THE FOLLOWING TO US: BANK ACCOUNT
NUMBER /ADDRESS/ TELEPHONE, FAX, TELEX, SWIFT/ CODE NUMBER, NAME OF
BENEFICIARY E.T.C.

NOTE BUT THE PARTICULAR NATURE OF YOUR BUSINESS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MATTER
IN THIS TRANSACTION.PLEASE REPLY VIE THIS EMAIL ADDRESS;
cynthia_carroll2007@hotmail.com

THANKS FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED RESPONSE.

YOURS SINCERELY
MS. CYNTHIA CARROLL

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam