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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:
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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:
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Hon. Barrister Ahmed Sodiq" <barrister_as9@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mails_barristerahmed@yahoo.co.in
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:10:48 -0900
Subject: YOUR REPLY IS NEEDED

Attention Please,
I am Barrister Ahmed Sodiq, the Personal/Corporate Attorney to a citizen of
your country, who used to work with Shell Petroleum development Company,
here in Nigeria.
He died with his family for over Two years now in a ghastly plane crash
during their vacation journey.
Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of his extended
Relatives abroad, which proved unsuccessful.
After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to contact you to
assist in receiving the money left behind by him before they get confiscated
or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge deposits is lodged,
particularly the Finance security Firm where the deceased had an Account
valued at about ($10 Million U.S dollars).
Being that you are from the same country and having the same last Name, i
decided to contact you based on mutual trust, so that the proceeds of this
account valued at that amount can be paid into your account as the
Beneficairy/Next of Kin to the Late Depositor, and then we can share the
money in the ratio 50/50.
Hence 50% for you and 50% for me, and i believe with this we can work
together based on mutual trust.
This is very important, as the fund has been in Suspense account of the
Bank, which if not claimed on time, will be directed to the federation
account for Rural development projects according to law.
It will be better we get this established immediately, to prevent any
further delay.
Yours at Law,
Hon. Barrister Ahmed Sodiq (S.A.N)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam