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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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)
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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)
  • "i will advice you " (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • mrsmabel_ugo2001@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mabel Ugo" <mabelugo1@msn.com>
Reply-To: mabel_ugo2001@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2005 10:42:34 +0000
Subject: RE: REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS ASSISTANCE, FROM MRS. MABEL UGO!!

Dear Sir/madam,

Firstly, I will start by introducing myself to you. I am Mrs.Mabel Ugo, a
senior staff working with Union Bank Nigeria Plc and personal account
officer to MR.MORRIS THOMPSON,an America Oil Consultant/Contractor with
shell development Oil company and the president of DIAMOND SAFARIES CO
NIGERIA. LTD.

On the 31 April 2001,our customer,his wife and their only child were
involved in a car accident along sagbama express road. All occupants of the
vehicle unfortunately lost there lives.

I have contacted you to assist in getting back the money and properties left
behind by our customer before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable
by our bank where he deposited the sum of Eighteen Million,Five hundrend
Thousand United State Dollrs ($18.5m)in our bank (UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC
) and the banking guidelines stipulates that if such money remained
unclaimed for a period of four (4) years and few months, with the account
unservicable the Bank is legally empowered to confisicated/freezen such
accounts and the fund transferred into the Federal Government Reserve
Account as unclaimed Fund. And this will happen after the next fifteen days,
if nobody comes for the money Since we have not seen any body for the money
and his properties for the last four (4) years and our bank has been
notifying the Rotary club for the past two years.

I now seek your Consent to present you as the Next of kin to the deceased
clientm ,So that the proceeds of this account valued at US$18.500.000.00 can
be released to you as the beneficiary instead of allowing his sweat get lost
in the Bank. Be inform, that all the Bio-data of MR.MORRIS STTHOMPSON and
his account information are on my desk.

I guarantee you that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from any breach of the law,and I will advice you on how you
will act as the next of kin to the decease so that the Eighteen Million,Five
hundrend Thousand United State Dollrs ($18.5m) will be transfered into your
nominated bank account. Please, kindly get in touch with me through this
e-mail: mrsmabel_ugo2001@yahoo.com, for your acceptance. As soon as I hear
from you, I will tell you how to apply to our bank officially.

Thanks,
Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Mabel Ugo.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam