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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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.

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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:
  • "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Sylvester Agu" <agusylvester@googlemail.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:54:07 +0100
Subject: Attn: Beneficiary {TT7270AFDB}


PAYMENT NOTIFICATION OF YOUR FUND

Attn: Beneficiary,

I am Mr. Sylvester Agu, the secretary to the President of African
Development Bank Group. Donald Kaberuka; the president (AFDB), the African
Development Bank Group is the parent bank of all banks here in Africa. I
have been assigned to Nigeria to carry out the underlisted task below.

We have decided to bring to your attention, the fact that we have done
everything necessary to make sure payments from the debt remittance account
are made to the Bonafide Beneficiaries. I am informing you of an attempt by
some men to collect your payment on your behalf. I had to ask them why they
came to see me in person and they said that they came to collect your
inheritance/contract funds payment sum of $10M which rightfully belongs to
you as shown in your file with us, on your behalf and by your authorization.


However, I am writing you this email to find out from you if you actually
sent them. Note that they actually tendered some vital documents which
proved that you actually sent them to collect these funds. Below is the list
of documents which they presented.

1) Letter of administration
2) Order to release
3) High court injunction


Due to the nature of my job, I cannot afford to make any mistake in
releasing the funds to anyone except you who is the recognized as true
beneficiary to these funds. I want to hear from you before I order the
release of the funds to these men who claim to be your representatives
because they will be back to my office next week. I decided to carry out
this decision based on my work experience and this is a risk I cannot take
because I have not heard anything from you.

Kindly direct your response to the private email address of my boss,Rev.Dr.
Richard Adebayo, the Head of International Operations of the African
Development Bank Group Nigeria Afdb, below for quicker deliberation and
response from him on the release of your funds to you. Please remember to
indicate your personal phone number so he can reach you on in your response.


Note that for security reasons you have been assigned a code/password which
is {TT7270AFDB}, please note that this code is the reference number for your
transfer and it's being disclosed to you alone, guard this jealously and all
your email response should carry this code as the subject.
Yours faithfully,

Dr Sylvester Agu.
Secretary.
To the Governor.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam