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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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:
  • "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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "accredited attorney" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • bened_2@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "ben edward" <will_jh01@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: bened_2@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 01:48:19 -0900
Subject: FROM BARRISTER BEN EDWARD, I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOONEST.

Naturally, this letter will come to you as a surprise,since I am Barrister
BEN EDWARD contacting you to kindly assist me in the proposition below,
which
will be of mutual benefit to us both.
PROPOSITION:

A salvadorean, Mr. Ramirez Videurre, 66 years of age and a very prosperous
farmer made a huge bank deposit for investment in the sum of US$26.8 Million
Dollars (twenty six Million eight hundred thousand United States Dollars)he
named
his wife Mrs. Helga Videurre as the NEXT OF KIN . I was called upon as an
Accredited Attorney the bank to sign and endorse documents to this deposit
on Mr. Videurre?s behalf.Unfortunately, Mr. & Mrs. Videurre were killed in
the January 14,
earthquake that rocked El Salvador ,killing thousands of people and 1200
others were declared missing. The bank management now mandates me (being
the lawyer that signed and endorsed the deposit papers for the deceased
to trace the family relatives of the deceased so that the fund will be
released
to them. I was made to understand that they had no children.

I made several efforts through the El Salvador High Commission in Lagos to
contact any of the deceased family relatives, but to no avail.Failure to
reach
any of the family relatives of the deceased , the only option left for the
Bank?s
Management is to declare the deceased account dormant and revert the fund
trading and investment in the interest of the bank.In order to avoid
this development since it has so farbeen impossible to trace any of the
deceased family relatives. I now seek your permission and assistance to
have you stand as a distant relatives to the deceased. So that the fund
can be released to you and we can use it for our mutual benefit.

I hope you do understand my concern in this matteris, that if we do not use
this
opportunity to claim this fund , since the deceased relatives cannot be
traced,the management of the bank will declare the deceased?s account
dormant
and revert the fund on Trading and Investment in the interest of the
bank.For
your assistance, you will be compensated adequately with(40%) of the total
sum (55%) will be my own share while (5%) will be set aside to coverany
incidental expense made both at home and abroad prior to this transaction.If
you are interested in assisting me with this matter, please send to me
urgently
via my EMAIL the following details below:
*Full name, Company or Private Address
*Telephone and Fax number(s).

Upon receiving the above details from you, I willwork out every
documents/proof
representing you as the deceased BONA-FIDE distant relative and when this
is done, you will be contacted by the bank for the release and collection
of this fund, which willbe within one week of my receiving the above
detailsfrom
you .I will meet with you in your country for disbursement after the fund
have been released to you and also to discuss investment potentials
as I will like to invest in your country with your assistance.

Be assured that this transaction is 100% risk free,asI have taken care of
all necessary
modalities to enable a hitch free transaction.Kindly ensure to treat this
matter in strict privacy(Highly Confidential).
Hoping to hear from you soonest.
yours sincerely,

Barrister BEN EDWARD
MY PRIAVET Email ADDRESS [ bened_2@yahoo.co.uk ]

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam