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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
  (+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:

• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "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)
  • "million 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)
• 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.
  • abbacha005@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "abba abacha" <abbaabacha@msn.com>
Reply-To: abbacha005@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 18:18:37 +0000
Subject: URGENT ASSISTANCE PLEASE.

ALHAJI ABBA ABACHA
ABACHA COURT,
11 GIDADO CRISCENT,
KANO STATE, NIGERIA.

Dear sir/madam

Compliments of the season!

I am Abba Abacha, the Second son of the late General Sanni Abacha,Nigeria's
former Military Head of State who died on the 8th of June,1998 of Cardiac
Arrest. Since the death of my Father both the immediate, past and incumbent
Government of my Country, Nigeria, have been persecuting my family.

The present Government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo have set up investigation
panel to confisticate all the belongings of my late father. The Government
have directed all the Banks in my Country to freeze the accounts belonging
to my family and our numerous Business concerns of my Mother and Uncles have
also been closed down and my immediate elder brother has been arrested by
the Nigerian Government,while all our foreign Bank Accounts have been
freezed aided by a publication in the FINANCIAL TIMES OF LONDON OF FRIDAY
23RD JULY, 1999, though my Father is not the only past Official accused of
having money in foreign Banks.

I am therefore using this medium to solicit for your assistance. Your
Business profile and name were given to me in confidence by the Nigerian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Foreign Trade Division). The information
regarding the viability of your Business concern gingered me into soliciting
for your help.

Now, since the present Government of my Country is hell-bent on prosecuting,
disgracing the good name and image of my entire family and possibly doing
more damages to our financial base, I am therefore desirous of handling over
the remains of my Father's Money,US$36 Million (Thirty-six Million United
States Dollars Only) which is presently SAFELY and SECRETLY kept in CODED
CASH in a Security Company outside my Country to evade confiscation by the
Nigerian Government or its Agents.

Please, if you are interested in helping my family move this money into your
Private or Company Account, kindly inform me through my E-mail addresses
below:. After the movement of this huge sum of money out of its secret place
into your Country, I plan to give you 35% of the total sum and 15% would be
set aside to take care of all incidental expenses, while 20% will be plunged
into your Business concern as shares or for high profile investment purposes
in your Country. Then, the rest 30% shall be used to settle my entire family
who have reached advanced stage to emigrate abroad for political asylum. For
your information,my dear grief stricken mother has the blessing of this
Business transaction. It is pertinent to state here
that this transaction is entirely based on trust and I would also kindly
appeal that you keep this proposed transaction with TOP SECRET.

If you are interested in this proposal, please for confidentialreasons,you
must respond only to my private email address: abbacha005@yahoo.com for
more clarifications.
If however you are not interested, still let me know to enable me search for
someone else to carry out this business with. I anticipate a timely response
from you.

Thanks.

With best regards,
ABBA ABACHA.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam