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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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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million british pounds" (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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +447024094962 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR SONG CHEW" <infolive102@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: songchew@live.com
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:13:14 -0800
Subject: Multi credit Bank London


*MR.SONG CHEW.
Head of Foreign Operations
Multi credit Bank London,
14 Blythewood Glasgow G2 4AQ,
United Kingdom.
Private Email;songchew@live.com <Email%3Bsongchew@live.com>
Direct phone number:+447024094962.

Dear Friend,*

*Do accept my sincere apologies if my mail does not meet your personal
ethics. I will *

*introduce myself as Head of Foreign Operations of a well-known bank here in
the United *

*Kingdom.One of our accounts with holding balance of L15,000,000(Fifteen
Million
British Pounds) has been dormant and has not been operated for the past 4
years.

From my investigations and confirmations, the owner of this account a
foreigner by name *

*Gerald Stone died in 4th of January 2004 and since then nobody has done
anything as regards *

*the claiming of this money because he has no family members who are aware
of the existence *

*of neither the account nor the funds. Also Information from the National
Immigration states *

*that he was also single on entry into the UK.

I have secretly discussed this matter with some of the bank officials and we
have agreed to *

*find a reliable foreign partner to deal with. We thus propose to do
business with you, *

*standing in as the next of kin of these funds from the deceased and funds
released to you *

*after due processes have been followed with the legal documentation of the
funds which is *

*here with us for smooth release of the funds to you as the lagal
beneficiary of the funds.

This transaction is totally free of risk and troubles as the fund is a
legitimate and does *

*not originate from drug, money laundry, terrorism or any other illegal act.
On your *

*interest, let me hear from you for further details on how to acquire this
funds.*

*Regards,
Mr. Song Chew.
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam