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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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.

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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:
  • "transaction is 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 John" <john_johnbb@yahoo.ca> (may be fake)
Reply-To: jonbru01@yahoo.ca
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 10:23:33 -0700
Subject: Mr John

Dear sir,
I know this piece of letter may come as a surprise to you, but i pray that you respond positively to it . my name is MR..JOHNSON BRUCE from sierra-leone in west africa and i got your email address from our chambers of commerce office here in freeetown, so i decided writing you and to explain some problems my family is facing as for moment.
Sir, since the sudden death of my father MR. DANDY BRUCE , the back bone of the family, evrything have just changed for usand before the war broke out in our country , he let me to understand that he , MR. DANDY BRUCE deposited a treasure box in a security company in guinea conakry and incase if anything happens to him , i should make sure that the treasure is used in a proper way, as if he knows what will happen to him.and it is about one year now since we lost our father , and the family has decided to invest this treasure abroad and myself being the oldest in the family , the whole task is on me.
so sir , as i am writing to you, i have just recoverved this certificate of deposit which he, mr. Dandy used in depositing a treasure box in a security company in guinea conakry and i am making arrangements on how this treasure box can be transfered to dubai because i was warned not to invest in africa.
finally, sir, my aim of writing you is to see if you can come down to dubai and act as the next of kin to the family treasure, this transaction is risk free and 30% of the total sum in the treasure box will go to you. i will explain more in details to you if only you can show me your interestby replying positively to this letter.and you must know that the success of every transaction is the top secret of the transaction.
yours sincerely ,
MR..JOHNSON BRUCE
ELDEST SON.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam