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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • steveibemea@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Avalu lawyer" <avalulawyer@msn.com>
Reply-To: steveibemea@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 13:43:06 +0000
Subject: URGENT PLEASE

Barrister Steve Ibeme,
Steve Ibeme Chambers,
Solicitors & Advocates.
06 BP 1409 Akpakpa Dodomey,
Cotonou - Benin Republic.
mailbox:steveibemea@yahoo.com
Attn: Good Friend
I am Barrister Steve Ibeme, an attorney at law. This mail is written to
solicit your assistance to be presented as next of kin to my deceased client
Mr Ronald Lake. He made a fixed deposit valued US 9.5M,(Nine Million, Five
Hundred Thousand US Dollars) on September 1998 for 36 months maturity, with
an intent of putting up a gold mining company here in Cotonou and upon the
maturity this bank started contacting him but to no avail On 31 January,
2000, my clientele along with his wife died in a plane crash of Alaska
Airlines Flight number 261. You shall read more about the crash on visiting
this site(http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/)
The Governing Body of the bank has contacted me on this matter, based on the
fact that his supposed next of kin, happened to die in the said crash and I
am yet to provide any other Next of Kin to lay claim to the fund.
Under a clear and legitimate agreement with you, I shall seek your consent
to be presented as the next of Kin,so that the proceeds of this account now
valued US 9.5 million, will be paid to you as the next of kin to Late Mr
Ronald Lake, so that the Bank will not confiscate this fund, as the banking
law and guidelines here stipulates
that if such money remained unclaimed after 6 years, the money will be
transfered into the bank treasury as unclaimed fund For the sake of
transparency on this matter, you are free to make immediate contact with me
through my mailbox or phone line, for further information related to this
matter.
Thank you very much for your anticipated acceptance while I expect your
prompt response.
Yours faithfully,
Steve Ibeme

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam