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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a company representative scam. This type of job offer scam involves the cashing of fake checks and money orders. It could expose you to losses of tens of thousands of dollars as well as to the risk of criminal prosecution and (in some cases) imprisonment.
• 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.
  • humaoartsandcrafts@excite.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. liu chan" <hmarts16@msn.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2005 22:46:15 +0000
Subject: Company/Representative Needed.

FROM THE DESK OF
MR. LIU CHAN.
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF
HUAMAO ART AND CRAFTS INC.
PUDONG NEW DISTRICT,
SHANGHAI, PR CHINA.



Dear Sir/Madam,

Good day to you, My name is Mr. Liu Chan, managing director of HUAMAO ARTS
AND CRAFTS Import./Export. Corp.(HMARTS) we are a group of business men who
deal on Art and Craft and export into the Canada/America and Europe.

We need representative in your country to help facilitate payment of our
money from clients that we have shipped our products to in other countries.
We have no agents in America, Canada and Europe and this affect our business
so much, they owe us alot of money. language barrier is also affecting us,
we cant get good information from client.

China is a big country but have bad government and many law. We use to have
many client in Canada and America but they run because they see we cannot
collect money from them because of sanction by government. some are ready to
pay but other become bad debt(money). we have lost a lot of money like this
but have no choice. We have lost up to $8 millions that we cannot collect.
Our company executives are afraid to travel because of government law on
travel and exchange of information and jail.

We are searching for representatives who can help us establish a medium of
getting to our customers in the Canada/America and Europe as well as making
payments through you to us. Please if you are interested in transacting
business with us we will be very glad. Please contact me via this e-mail
address: humaoartsandcrafts@excite.com for more information.

Subject to your satisfaction you will be given the opportunity to negotiate
your mode of which we will pay for your services as our representative in
Canada/America and Europe Please if you are interested forward to us your
phone number/fax and your full contact address to me.

Thanks In advance

Mr. Liu Chan,
Managing Director.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam