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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:

• 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:
  • "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.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • bar_usmanbello@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "frank smith" <frank_smith163@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 07 Feb 2006 04:03:53 +0000
Subject: STRICKLY CONFIDENTIAL

FROM.BARRISTER USMAN BELLO.
OF BERI CHAMBERS.

34 Creek Road Victoria Island Lagos Nigeria
LAGOS NIGERIA, CT 06051 
  

I am Barrister usman bello a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to
MR. JOHN C. ROLAND a Nationality of your country, who used to work with the Shell Petroleum Development Company in NIGERIA.Here in after shall be referred to as my client.On the 21st of April 2003,my client, his wife and their children were involved in a car accident along Sagama express-road.All the occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients
extended relatives this has also proved
Unsuccessful.
  
After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name
over the Internet.To locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.I
have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and properties left
behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by
the bank where these huge deposits were lodged.Particularly,the money in the BANK in nigeria were the deceased has an account valued at about SEVENTEEN MILLION,THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS(US$17.322M) has issued me a notice to provide the NEXT OF KIN or have the account confiscated within the next few weeks now Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for more than two years now. I seek your consent to present you as the NEXT OF KIN of the
deceased , so that the
proceeds of the account valued at US$17.322M) can be paid to you and then
you and me
can share the money 60% to me and 40% to you.
  
I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make.All I require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us seeing this deal through.I guarantee you that this will be executed under a
legitimate arrangement that will protect you and me from any breach of the
law. Please I will want you to send to me your telephone and fax numbers for
easy communication,and also to have a brief discussion in regards to this
transaction.
  
USMAN BELLO
       PLEASE REPLY TO MY ALTERNATIVE EMAIL/      bar_usmanbello@myway.com       

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam