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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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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "diplomatic immunity"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • ",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)
  • "diplomatic immunity" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Adam kufur" <adamkufur03@fastwebmail.it>
Reply-To: akufur@personal.ro
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 06:33:34 -0700
Subject: FROM: ADAM KUFUR


FROM: ADAM KUFUR
ECOWAS BANK
FACT FINDING AND SPECIAL DUTIES,
ACCRA GHANA

I am ADAM KUFUR a senior staff with the ECOWAS bank. In the nutshell I and
two of my department staffs noticed some irregularities in your payment
file, we found out within our computer networks that you had not received
your last phase instalmental payment due to the people you called your
partners and purpported sister company here.

There's two security proof boxes inside our bank vault section. In
furtherance I asked the officer incharge of the section to be involved in
this transaction and after he will receive a compensation from you, and we
know that according to information gathered from the bank computer that you
had been waiting for a long time to receive your contract payment without
success. And now as I have found out that you have almost met all the
statutory requirements in respect of your payment but because of little
miscalculation and interest group in the computer section every payment
were pending but we can arange to pay to you a part payment Now as I have
known the delay I assured to help send the two boxes which it's contents
were physical cash of $10 Million U.S.A. Dollars to your designated Address
if you agree to compensate I and my colleagues with $500,000.00 (Five
hundred thousand U.S.A. Dollars only, when the transaction is concluded
effectively.

You are required to write a promissory note on that regards and send it to
me along with your private address where you want to receive the boxes. In
addition, I will send the boxes to you through international courier service
which my diplomat friend disclosed to me as the best courier company. The
courier company has diplomatic immunity to carry diplomatic cargoes. The
company are not check by the customs anywhere in the world. I will meet them
as soon as I have your goahead order to send you the $10,000,000.00 (Ten
Million U.S.A. Dollars) cash via courier service.

The diplomat friend promised to help us secure the necessary papers required
to avoid any problem. Now for security reasons do not disclose to anybody
about this method of payment until you receive cash at your door step,
because it may cause a lot of eyebrows if it is discovered we use this
method. Squel to my saying I will send you the keys to open the boxes both
the outer and inner security code lock through another courier company, this
is to avoid tempering in any transit Airport.

I wait your imediate response. Please direct all your response to my email
address.

Yours faithfully,
ADAM KUFUR Director (Fact Finding And Special Duties)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam