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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "100% hitch free" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • edki033@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: edmond kim <edki00@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 14:04:24 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Urgent Response Please!


MR EDMOND KIN.
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT.
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT.
INTERNATIONAL BANK OF AFRICA
LOME -TOGO.
EMAIL/ edki033@yahoo.com

Dear Sir/Madam,

I AM EDMOND KIN THE AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT FOREIGN REMITTANCE
DEPT INTERNATIONAL BANK OF AFRICA I am writing following the impressive
information about your profile through the website your capability and
reliability to champion this opportunity.

In my department, we discovered an abandoned sum of $8.5 million US
dollars (EIGHT MILLION FIVE HUNDRAD THOUSAND US DOLLARS). In an account
that belongs to one of our foreign customers Mr John Schelpert from
united states of america who died along with his entire family in
October,1999 in a plane crash.

Since we got this information about his death, we have been expecting
his next of Kin to come over and claim his money because we can not
release it unless somebody applies for it as next of Kin or relation to the
deceased as indicated in our banking and financial policies but
unfortunately we learnt that his supposed next of kin or relation died along
side with him in the crash leaving no body behind to claim the money.
It is therefore upon this discovery that I and other officials in my
department now decided to make this business proposal to you and release
the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for
safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and we
dont want this money to go into the Bank treasury as u nclaimed bills.

The Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money
remained unclaimed after long period, the money will be transferred into the
Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request for a foreigner as next of
kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a
foreigner and an indegine cannot stand as next of kin to the deceased
family. We agreed that 25% of this money will be for you as foreign
partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign
account, 5% will be set aside for expenses incurred during this
transaction and 70 % would be for me and my colleagues.

There after I and my colleagues will visit your country for
disbursement according to the percentages indicated. Therefore to enable the
immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to
the Bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased
indicating your private, telephone and fax number for easy and
effective communication and location where the money will be remitted. Upon
receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or e-mail the text of the
application.

I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is 100%
hitch free and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all
required arrangements have been made for the transfer. You should contact
me immediately as soon as you receive this letter. I decided to contact
you as you have products of interest in your part of the world where we
can invest our own percentage to avoid peoples awareness as we are
civil servants. We can conclude this operation within ten banking days.

Please keep this very confidential. Contact me for more information,
all confirmable before you apply if you want.May God be with you.

Trusting to hear from you shortly for a detailed information which are
confirmable before you can make up your mind to apply.

Best regards.

MR EDMOND KIN.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam