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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "my direct line" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "rahim ahmed" <rahim_ahmed028@superposta.com>
Reply-To: rahim_ahmed00@yahoo.fr
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:30:37 +0000
Subject: From Mr Rahim, Call Me Immediately You Reply.


Hello Dear Friend,

Pls i want you to read this letter very carefully and i must apologize for
barging this message into your mail box without any formal introduction due
to the urgency and confidential of this issue and i know that this message
will come to you as a surprise, Pls this is not a joke and i will not like
you to joke with it.

I am Mr Rahim Ahmed Manager in African Development Bank (A.D.B) Ouagadougou,

Burkina faso.

I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that i am
about to establish with you for the mutual benefit of me and you.

I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($15.2)millions
usd into your account within 7working banking days. This money has been
dormant for years in our Bank without claim due to the owner of this fund
died along with his entire family and supposed next of kin in an air crash
since July 31st 2000.

Pls go through the website ( *
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm*<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm>
)

I want our bank to release this funds to you as the nearest person to our
deceased customer while i come over to your country to share this fund with
you as soon as you confirm this fund into your account and ask me to come
over.

I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasure as an abandoned fund. So
this is the reason why i contacted you so that our bank will release this
money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer. Please I would
like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not
interesting.

Upon the receipt of your reply and indication of your capability, i will
give you full details on how the business will be executed and also note
that you will have 45% of the above mentioned sum if you agree to handle
this business with me while 50% will be for me and 5% for any expenses that
may arise on the process, Because i don't want anyone here in our bank to
know my involvement until you confirm this fund into your account and ask me
to come over for the sharing as i indicated.

Am looking forward hearing from you immediately, Call me also through my
direct line on +22678059597.

Thanks with my best regards
Mr.Rahim Ahmed

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam