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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!
  
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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:
  • "million us 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)
  • "can i trust you?" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "sgtcharles duke" <sgtcharlesduke1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: charlesduke014@myway.com
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2006 01:05:03 -0600
Subject: MONEY FOUND IN BAGDAD, CAN I TRUST YOU

FROM: Sgt Charles Duke.

Dear Sir,

Good day to you

My name is Charles Duke a soldier serving in the US military of the 1st Armored Division in Iraq. We have just been posted out of  Iraq to Germany but I am presently in Kuwait at the mean time.

My superior and I moved some large funds belonging to late Uday Hussein,worth $25,000,000.00 (Twenty Five million US dollars) This money is being kept safe in a security company.

Click on this link to read about events that took place here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm

Basically since we are working for the government we cannot keep these funds, but we want to transfer and move the funds to you, so that you can keep it for us in your safe account or an offshore account. We will divide the total funds in three ways,60% is for the   three that  parties are involved.10% will be kept aside for  expenses.  while 30% will be used for the work of charity donating to the less priveldged people in the society.

This business is confidential, and it should not be discussed with anyone.

There is no risk involved whatsoever.

If you are interested i will send you the full details as my job is to find a good partner that we can trust and that will assist us.

Can i trust you? When you receive this letter, kindly send me an e-mail

signifying your interest including your most confidential telephone/fax

numbers, Full Address, Age Occupation,  for quick communication

This business is risk free. Please reply me via this email  for security reasons.

Respectfully submitted

Sgt. Charles Duke

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam