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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:
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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:

• 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:
  • "a security company " (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. )
  • "huge amount 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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
  • "mariam abacha" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "sani abacha" (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.
  
• 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.
  • mariam.abacha090@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mariam Abacha" <mariam.abacha1@biz.by>
Reply-To: mariam.abacha090@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:47:58 -0700
Subject: FROM MRS. MARIAM ABACHA!!!


HELLO DEAR,

I AM VERY SORRY FOR CONTACTING YOU THIS WAY, I KNOW IT WILL LOOK VERY
SURPRISING TO YOU, BUT THE FACT IS THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY I BELIEVE I CAN
GET HELP FOR NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVEN'T KNOWN YOU, I AM SORRY FOR
SAYING THAT, THE REASON IS THAT YOU KNOW ONE CAN'T JUST TRUST SOME ONE WHO
HE OR SHE HAVE NEVER MET BEFORE. I AM MRS. MARIAM ABACHA, THE WIFE OF THE
FORMER HEAD OF STATE IN NIGERIA, LATE GENERAL SANI ABACHA WHO DIED ON JUNE
8TH 1998, HE LEFT FOR ME AND HIS CHILDREN HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT SINCE
THE DEATH OF MY HUSBAND, NIGERIA GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SO BAD TO US.

THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA GENERAL OLUSEGUN OBASANJO HAS ORDERED OUR
BANK ACCOUNT BOTH HOME AND ABROAD FROZEN, HE CLAIMED THAT WHEN MY HUSBAND
WAS ALIVE HE EMBEZZLED NIGERIAN MONEY, AND ALL MY HUSBAND ACCOUNT SHOULD BE
TAKING OVER BY THE GOVERNMENT, WHILE THIS WERE TAKING PLACE MY SON AND I
WERE ABLE TO TAKE HOLD OF SOME OF THE MONEY WORTH ABOUT ($25.5 MILLION U.S
DOLLARS) WHICH MY GOVERNMENT DO NOT KNOW ABOUT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO CARGO
THIS MONEY AS DIPLOMATIC BAGGAGE TO BE KEPT WITH A SECURITY COMPANY IN GHANA
AND THE FUND IS NOW IN GHANA WITH A SECURITY COMPANY FOR SAFE KEEPING. THE
REASON WHY I MAKE THIS CONTACT TO YOU IS THAT I WANT TO INVEST THIS FUND
ABROAD AND I WANT YOU TO HELP ME TAKE DELIVERY OF THIS MONEY INTO YOUR
ACCOUNT/CUSTODY IN YOUR COUNTRY, WHILE MY FAMILY AND I WILL COME OVER TO
JOIN YOU AND START A NEW LIFE. I HAVE AGREED TO LET YOU HAVE 25% AS SOON AS
THE MONEY GET INTO YOUR ACCOUNT/CUSTODY AND 5% WILL BE FOR ANY EXPENSES
INCURRED DURING THE TRANSACTION. AS SOON AS YOU AGREED TO MY OFFER TO YOU,
THEN I SHALL INTRODUCE YOU TO MY SON MUSTAPHA ABACHA WHO WILL INTIMATE YOU
FULLY ON HOW YOU SHALL BE HELPING ME.

FOR THIS REASON I WANT YOU TO FORWARD TO ME YOUR TEL/FAX NUMBER FOR EASY
COMMUNICATION, AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM YOU I SHALL SEND TO YOU ALL THE
DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THIS FUND, AND I SHALL PREPARE A POWER OF ATTORNEY IN
YOUR NAME AS THE BENEFICIARY OF THE FUND. BUT ALL I NEED NOW IS YOUR
CO-OPERATION, HONESTY AND CONFIDENTIALITY. THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK
FREE AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT BECAUSE YOU WILL RECEIVE
THESE FUNDS UNDER LEGAL CLAIMS. PLEASE DO NOT DISCUSS THIS WITH ANY BODY AS
I DO NOT TRUST ANY ONE, BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE HAVE DISAPPOINTED ME IN THE PAST
AND SOME EVEN MADE AWAY WITH SOME OF MY FAMILY MONEY AND I KNOW YOU WILL NOT
BE LIKE THEM AS I PUT ALL MY TRUST AND HOPE IN YOU. PLEASE CONTACT ME NOW
THROUGH THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR MORE DETAILS mariam.abacha090@yahoo.com

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MRS. MARIAM ABACHA.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam