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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
  • "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
• 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.
  • paul_hilary012@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "mike eze" <mikeeze021@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:46:42 +0100
Subject: CONTACT MY SECRETARTY IMMEDIETLY


*

Dear Friend,
I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting the fund released and
transferred to Dutch bank Germany, under the cooperation of a new partner
from South Africa, Who is a citizen of United Kingdom. Presently I'm in UK ,
planing how to travel to Germany to invest my fund, he assisted me to
retriev the money from the London Bank,and the money has been currently
deposited with DUTCH BANK GERMANY.

I will soon leave Germany for investment projects with my own share of the
total sum. meanwhile, I didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to
assist me in transferring those funds despite that it failed us somehow.
Now contact my secretary, his name is MR. PAUL HILARY, and his email address
is.... (paul_hilary012@yahoo.com) ask him to send you the total $2.5
million usa dollars which I mapped for your compensation for all the past
efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter. Note that already i have
writtin a cashier cheque worth of that value on your name, I appreciated
your efforts at that time very much. so feel free and get in touch with my
secretary (MR.PAUL HILARY), and instruct him where to send the cheque to
you.
Please, do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the
joy after all the sufferings, and stress at that time, i am very busy here
because of the investment projects which me and the new partner are having
at hand, finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to the secretary
on your behalf to release the cashier cheque to you , so feel free to get in
touch with him, and he will send the cheque to you without any delay,i am
now a happy man in life!!.

Thanks, and remain blessed.

Mr. MIKE EZE




*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam