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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.

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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)
  • "escrow account with no beneficiary" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "inland revenue" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +447045727975 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Mc Collinson <mr.mccollinson3@msn.com>
Reply-To: <mr.mccollinson@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:53:59 +0000
Subject: REPLY SOON




Investment Portfolio/Proposal From Mr.Mc Collinson

From: MR MC COLLINSON
Custody and Clearing Dept
HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland Plc)
171-173 Putney High Street
London, United Kingdom.
+44 704 572 7975
www.halifax.co.uk

My Dear friend,

My name is MR. MC COLLINSON, I work with the HBOS as the Regional manager/External Auditor, in the Western Region of WEST LONDON.I am 53 years old with three kids. I have packaged a transaction that will be of mutual benefit to us.

As the branch manager of HBOS Bank of united kingdom, it is my duty to send a financial report to my head office in the capital city, at the end of each financial year. Following the release of the second quarter financial report, ending June 2006, I discovered that my branch made Fifteen Million,Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand British Pounds Sterling.(15,850,000.00); from the transactions accruing to the account of the Inland Revenue Service (IRS). This was not detected by the renowned auditors from my head office.I have moved the funds into what the Bank call Escrow Account with no beneficiary.

Meanwhile as you know I can not be directly connected to this money for obvious reasons. So my contacting you is to assist me receive the funds in your Bank account in your country; which I know is possible if you liaise properly with me and get 35% of the total funds as your benefit.

The transfer would be made via swift and There are practically no risks involved,it will be a Bank-to-Bank wired transfer.All I really need from you is to stand and claim as the original depositor of this fund. I will compute your particulars as the person who made the deposit in my branch, so that my head office will immediately order the transfer to your designated Bank Account.

I am also willing to invest my own part of the money into any moving business in your country after the accomplishment of this project.

I will appreciate it if you are willing to work with me in this project. My private email address is (mr.mccollinson@msn.com) my cell phone is +44 704 572 7975 .
Mail me if you think we can work together so that we can go over the details.

Yours truly,
MR. MC COLLINSON=

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam