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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:

• 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:
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • tonyede101@ny.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Tony Ede" <tonyede202@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: tonyede101@ny.com
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 15:14:34 +0000
Subject: Consent

FROM: DR. TONY EDE

UNION BANK NIGERIA PLC.

13, BROAD STREET LAGOS-NIGERIA

Email: tonyede101@ny.com


Dear Sir,

Compliment of the day. It is my humble wish to solicit and crave your
indulgence to make this request for a joint business transaction, which I
hope, will not come to you as a surprise, hence I plead for your pardon.

I am Dr. TONY EDE, Director-General, Foreign Operations Department, UNION
BANK NIGERIA PLC. I have an urgent and confidential business proposal for
you.

In 1999,an American Oil Consultant/Contractor with National Petroleum
Cooperation (NNPC) Engr. John Creek made a Numbered Time (Fixed) Deposit for
twelve calendar months valued at US$35.5m(Thirty-Five Million Five Hundred
Thousand US Dollars) in my bank.


On maturity, we sent a routine notification to his forwarded address but got
no reply after months we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his
contract employee (Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation) that Engr.John
Creek died from an automobile accident. On further investigation, it was
clear that he died without making a Will. All attempts by our bank to trace
his Next of Kin were fruitless.

Therefore, I made further investigation and discovered that Engr. John Creek
did not declare any Next of Kin or Relation in all his official documents
including his deposit document in my bank. The total sum of US$35,500,000.00
is still in my bank as dormant and unclaimed fund. No one will ever come
forward to claim it as it stands.

According to the bank's guidelines, after five years, the money will revert
to the bank's treasury as unclaimed fund, if the account owner is certified
dead and nobody comes forward to claim it. Our bank is about to declare it
as unclaimed fund and claim it.

This is the situation, and my proposal is that I want to present you, as the
real next of kin and thereafter, this fund will be released to you.

I will supply you with all the needed documents that will make anyone here
believe you are the real next of kin. Once I supply you with all the needed
documents, the fund will be ready to be released to you.

All you are required to do is to immediately send me the details of your
bank account anywhere in the world for me to arrange the proper money
transfer documents and give you further guideline on how to make this work.

For your assistance in this transaction, we have agreed to give you 20% of
the total fund, 75% shall be kept for me while 5% has been mapped out to
cover all expenses that may be incurred locally and internationally.

Please note, with our positions in the bank and in the country, once we have
your consent and approval, we can arrange this fund to be moved by
cash/normal TT transfer (as you may wish) to your country but we have to get
your consent and approval before we can proceed on this arrangement. This
will save us time and stress.

Be informed that there is no risk involved. I am using my position and
connection in the bank here to do all the document work for the transaction.
We shall employ the services of an attorney to draft the Will and obtain all
necessary documents and Letter of Administration in your favour for the
transfer of this fund to you.

This transaction is risk free guaranteed. Please let me get your response
immediately confidentially stating your private phone,fax numbers and bank
account details and be rest assured that this transaction is most profitable
for both of us. Send it via tonyede101@ny.com

Please do not expose this transaction if you are not interested because if
you do, it will take me out of seat.

I await your urgent reply.

Best regards,

Tony Ede

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam