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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:
  • "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)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "patrick cole" <patrick_cole42@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: patrick_cole6@myway.com
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 16:18:03 +0000
Subject: Greetings to you,Please contact me as soon as you get this message.

Mr Patrick Cole.
General Accounts Officer.
Auditing control Unit
Orient Bank Nig Plc.
119, Adeola Odeku, V/I.
Lagos Nigeria.

Dear Respectable one,

I am an accountant with ORIENT BANK NIG PLC; my name is Mr Patrick Cole,a
Banker. I am the Accounts officer to late Engr. ( Kerry) a National of your
country, who is a contractor with the DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES
VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS.

Here in after shall be referred to as my client On 30 JAN 2000, my client,
his wife, and their three children were involved in the Kenya airways flight
with registration number 5Y-BEN which departed from Nairobi to destination
Lagos and the all family died in this fatal air crash on 30 JAN 2000 Since
then I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my
clients extended Relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful.

After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace 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 property left
behind by my client before they getconfiscated or declared unserviceable by
the bank where these huge deposits were lodged, particularly the ORIENT BANK
NIG PLC. Where the deceased had an account Valued at about ( $21.3 million
dollars ) has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin. Or have the
account confiscated within the next ten official working days.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years
now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased
since you have the same last name so that the proceeds of this account
valued at ($21.3 million dollars) can be paid to you and then you and me Can
share the money.40% to me and 35% to you and 20% for any charity
organization in your country. While 5% for unforeseen bottlenecks we might
incure in this transaction an attorney will be contracted to help us
revalidate and notarize all the necessary legal documents that can be used
to back up any claim we may make.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through.
I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that
will protect you and me from any breach of the law.

Best regards,
Mr Patrick Cole.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam