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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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• 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.

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)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million dollars" (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)
  • "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)
• This email message is a next of kin 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.
  • hassanmohamed01@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "hassa mohamed" <hassamohamed6@hosanna.net>
Reply-To: hassanmohamed01@yahoo.fr
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:14:50 +0200
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF MR HASSAN MOHAMED.


FROM THE DESK OF MR HASSAN MOHAMED.
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER,
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)

OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO.DEAR FRIEND,CONFIDENTIAL TRUST BUSINESS DEAL I
KNEW THIS MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE. I AM THE AUDITING MANAGER
IN BANK OF AFRICA (BOA), OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO. I HOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT
EXPOSE OR BETRAY THIS TRUST AND CONFIDENT THAT I AM ABOUT TO IMPOSE ON YOU
FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF OUR FAMILIES. I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN
TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF (USD$5.5) MILLION DOLLARS TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN
10 BANKING DAYS. THIS MONEY HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR YEARS IN OUR BANK WITHOUT
ANY BODY CLAIMING THE FUND.
I WANT THE BANK TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEAREST PERSON TO OUR
DECEASED CUSTOMER (THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT) BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN
CUSTOMER (MR. JOHN BELLY FROM FLORIDA, U.S.A) WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE
FAMILY ON NOVEMBER 1999 IN A PLANE CRASH.FOR MORE INFORMATION'S ABOUT THE
CRASH YOU CAN VISIT THIS

SITE: HTTP://NEWS.BBC.CO.UK/2/HI/AMERICAS/502503.STM<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/HI/AMERICAS/502503.STM>
I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR BANK TREASURER ACCOUNT AS AN ABANDONED
FUND. SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU SO THAT THE BANK CAN RELEASE
THE 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
INTERESTED. UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL GIVE YOU FULL DETAILS ON HOW
THE BUSINESS WILL BE EXECUTED AND ALSO NOTE THAT YOU WILL HAVE 30% OF THE
ABOVE MENTIONED SUM IF YOU AGREE TO HANDLE THIS BUSINESS WITH ME. AND 10%
WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR ANY EXPENSES THAT ARISES ON THE PROCESS BEFORE THE
FUND GET INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT SUCH AS TELEPHONE CALLS BILLS (ETC).
I LOOKING FORWARD RECEIVING YOUR RETURN MAIL THROUGH THIS EMAIL ADDRESS
THANKS AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.
My E-Mail Addresse(hassanmohamed01@yahoo.fr).

1. NAME IN FULL:................................
2. ADDRESS:.......................................
3. NATIONALITY:...................................
4. AGE:.............................................
5. Sex..............................................
6. OCCUPATION:......................................
7. MARITAL STATUS:..................................
8. PHONE............................................
9. FAX:.............................................
10. YOUR PHOTO PICTURE...........................
N.B PLEASE I BEG YOU WITH THE NAME OF GOOD ALLAH IF YOU CANNOT FINISH THIS
BUSINESS DO NOT CARE TO REPLY I DON'T WANT THIS MONEY TO HANG ON THE WAY.
BEST REGARD
MR HASSAN MOHAMED

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam