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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:
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Richard Atwater" <richardatwater@richard-at-water.org>
Reply-To: arich1945@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 18:29:42 +0000
Subject: FROM MR. RICHARD ATWATER

FROM MR. RICHARD ATWATER

AUDITOR-GENERAL RESERVE BANK OF ENGLAND.

DEAR ,

MY NAME IS MR. RICHARD ATWATER THE DIRECTOR INCHARGE OF AUDITING GENERAL
ACCOUNTS OF THE RESERVE BANK OF ENGLAND FOR SOME YEARS NOW. WITH DUE RESPECT
AND TRUST, I WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT IN OUR AUDITING EXERCISES IN THIS BANK,
MY DEPARTMENT CAME ACCROSS A HUGE SUM OF MONEY BELONGING TO A CLIENT WHO
DIED IN THE LAST USA WORLD TRADE CENTRE BOMBING OF 11TH SEPTEMBER,2001 BY
THE TERRORISTS. ON OUR INVESTIGATION, WE OBSERVED THAT HIS NEXT OF KIN WHO
WAS SUPPOSED TO CLAIM THE DECEASED MONEY ALSO DIED OUT OF SHOCK ON HEARING
THE NEWS OF THE ONLY FAMILY BREAD WINNER HENCE HE WAS NOT TOLD THAT THE
DECEASED PUT HIS NAME AS HIS NEXT OF KIN. THE ACCOUNT IS INVOLVING THE SUM
OF USD$27 MILLION. MEANWHILE, ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS TO PUT CLAIM OVER THIS
FUND AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED PERTAINING THE REQUIRED APPROVAL AND
TRANSFER OF THIS MONEY TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT HAS BEEN CONCLUDED BY MY
COLLEAGUES. ALL THE DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY THE BANK CONCERNING THE DEPOSITED
FUNDS WILL BE SENT TO YOU AS A PROVE OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE FUNDS IN THE
BANK AS SOON AS YOUR INTEREST AND WILLINGNESS TO HANDLE THIS TRANSACTION IS
PRONOUNCED. BASED ON THIS UNDERSTANDING, IN OUR LAST BOARD MEETING, MY
COLLEAGUES ASKED ME TO SOURCE FOR A RELIABLE FOREIGN PARTNER TO CARRY OUT
THIS TRANSACTION WHO WILL RESERVE OUR SHARE OF THE FUNDS. THE OPERATIONAL
REQUIREMENTS TO EXECUTE THIS TRANSACTION WILL DEMAND FOR YOUR FOREIGN BANK
ACCOUNT DETAILS AS THE ACREDITED BENEFICIARY IN PLACE OF THE NEXT OF KIN. AN
ATTORNEY WILL BE DEPLOYED TO PROCESS THE TRANSFER DOCUMENTS AND SIGN THE
FINAL RELEASE ORDER OF THE FUNDS ON YOUR BEHALF AS THE NEXT OF KIN. THIS IS
100% RISK FREE TRANSACTION BUT YOU ARE ADVISED TO KEEP IT AS A TOP SECRET
HENCE WE ARE STILL IN THE SERVICE AND INTEND TO RETIRE FROM SERVICE AFTER
THE CONCLUSSION OF THE REMITTANCE OF THE FUNDS INTO YOUR DESIGNATED BANK
ACCOUNT ABROAD. YOU ARE ENTITLED TO 35% OF THE TOTAL SUM INCLUDING THE 5%
SET ASIDE TO REIMBURSE EXPENSES FOR TELEPHONE AND FAX BILLS ETC WHILE 60% IS
FOR OUR COLLEAGUES AND INVESTMENT. PLEASE BEAR IT IN MIND THAT YOUR URGENT
RESPONSE WILL FACILITATE THEPOSITION OF THIS TRANSACTION IMMEDIATELY.

BEST REGARDS,

MR. RICHARD ATWATER

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam