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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.

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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)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "cost of transfer" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "musa sain" <musasain1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: musasain6@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:31:37 +0000
Subject: I am looking forward to hear from you soon.


*From The Desk Of Mr Sain Musa.
Group Bank of Africa,
Ouagadougou Burkina Faso .*
* *
*Dear Friend,*
*I am Mr Sain Musa Bill and exchange manager of foreign remittance
department of B.O.A Bank Of Africa here in Burkina Faso Ouagadougou .In my
department I discovered an abandant sum of $11.5M(Eleven Million Five
Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of
our foreign customers who died along with his entire family on 31 july 2000
in a plane crash. You can confirm the genuiness of the deceased death by
clicking on this web site **
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm*<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm>
* *
* *
*Upon this discovery that I now decided to make this business proposal to
you and for our bank to release the money to you. You have to follow the
instruction which I will send to you as the next of kin or relation to the
deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for
it and I don't want this money to go into our bank treasury as unclaimed
bill.

This request of foreigner as next of kin in this transaction is occasioned
by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Burkinab, cannot stand
as next of kin to a foreigner.In appreciation of your assistance, I am
offering you 40% of the total sum. 10% for contingencies (cost of
transfer/other charges) likely to be incurred during the course of
transaction, while the remaining 50% is for me.*
* *
*I will send to you by fax or email the text of the application which you
will complete and forward to our bank asking for this money to be paid to
you as the next of kin . Therefore before we can proceed further, i want you
to send to me your details to enable me know whom i am dealing with also
know your capability towards this transaction.*
* *
*FULL NAME :
HOME ADDRESS:
YOUR PICTURE PHOTOGRAPH
MOBILE TELEPHONE NUMBER:
OCCUPATION:
YOUR AGE:
NATIONALITY:*
* *
*I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch-free
and that you should not entertain any fear as all required arrangements have
been made for the transfer.You should contact me immediately as soon as you
receive this mail. *
* *
*Yours Faithfully,
Mr Sain Musa . *

*NB, MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THIS TRANSACTION AS YOUR TOP SECRECT AND MAKE IT
CONFIDENTIAL TILL WE RECEIVES THE FUND INTO THE ACCOUNT THAT YOU WILL
PROVIDE TO THE BANK. DONT DISCLOSE IT TO ANY BODY "PLEASE", BECAUSE THE
SECRECY OF THIS TRANSACTION IS AS WELL AS THE SUCCESS OF IT.

*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam