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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge sum of money" (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)
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • www.brown_walters1@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "David Brimley" <d_brimley@msn.com>
Reply-To: brown_walters1@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 22:01:18 +0000
Subject: INVESTMENT MANAGER BUSINESS

Dear Friend

My name is Brown Walter, I am the credit manager in a bank here in the
United Kingdom. I am contacting you in respect of the transfer of a huge sum
of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this
nature and magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am
assuring you that everything has been taken care of, and all will be well
at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the
secrecy,confidentiality and urgency of this transaction.

PROPOSITION;

I was the account officer of a foreigner, named Gerald Hamilton who died in
an air crash along with his wife on the 31st October 1999 in an Egyptian
airline boeing 990 with other passengers on board. Since his death, none of
his relations or persons have come forward to lay claims to his this funds
as next-of-kin, and on my own i have made concerted effort to locate any of
his relatives but all prove abortive, which makes me to believe that maybe
nobody of his knows that he was operating this foreign account with my bank.
Based on the ethics and policies of the bank, this funds will be declared
unclaimed funds and taken to the treasury of the bank as capital base of the
bank, because already the account has been tagged dormant because it has
exceeded the normal functional number of years. We cannot release the fund
from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the
deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines. Upon this discovery, I now
seek your permission and assistance to present you and have you stand as a
next of kin to the deceased,so that the funds can be released and transfer
to you, as all documentations will be carefully worked out by me for the
funds (US$5,000,000.00) to be released in your favor as the beneficiary's
next of kin, if not the members of the board of directors will utilise it
for their personal aggrandisement. Because after four years as this is the
fifth year going the money will be called back to the bank treasury as
unclaimed bills and the money shared amongst the directors of the bank, so
it is on this note i decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the
next of kin/beneficiary to this funds rather than allow the bank directors
to share this money amongst themselves at the end of the year. It may
interest you to know that I have secured from the probate commission an
order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual
business endeavour by furnishing me with the following information if you
are interested.

1.A Beneficiary name..In order for me to prepare the document for transfer
of the funds in your name.
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers...For our personal contact and mutual
trust in each other.

Upon your acceptance I shall send you my identity for more confidentiality
and trust in each other as i shall trust you not to elope with this funds
when it finally gets to your account. I shall be compensating you with a
million dollars ($1Million dollars) on final conclusion of this project for
your assistance, while the balance, i shall used in prolific investment
project based on your advised Because I intend to retire after the
conclusion of this transaction. If this proposal is acceptable by you,
please endeavor to contact me immediately. Do not take undue advantage of
the trust I have bestowed
in you, I await your urgent response.
Regards,
Brown Walter
www.brown_walters1@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam