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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• 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.
  • geo_van20@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Geophrey Alabasten" <geo_alamieye02@msn.com>
Reply-To: geo_van20@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:23:44 +0000
Subject: CONSIDER VERY URGENT

Dear friend,
I wish to use these medium to reach out to you and at the same time strongly
advice that you endevore to treat this mail as discreet as possible.
My name is GEOPHREY ALABASTEN,i am the personal account officer to one
Engineer Andrew a foreing national,who used be an Oil Merchant with Mobil
Petroleum Company Netherlands,herein shall be refered to as my client.My
client was involved in a ghastly car accident on the 21st of september 2002
along Fernood road here in Netherlands,unfortunately he lost his life in
that accident.He operated an account with FINANS BANK (Netherlands) valued
at 8.5mEUROS (Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand Euros ) this account has
since remained dormant and unclaimed since his death.I have made several
enquiries to your emberssy inorder to get in contact with his extended
relative but i have not been successful,i have just been notified by the
bank management to have the next of kin make claim as beneficiary to these
funds in there custody or they will be left with no other option but to
declare these account as unsevicable and subsequently will divert the funds
into the bank treasury by the end of this year 2005 as unclaimed,citing
grounds on the dormancy of the account for a long time.
After these several unsuccessful attempts to locate any member of his
family,I seek your consent to present you to the bank as the next of kin
there by assist in the claiming of this funds so that these funds can be
released and paid to you before the bank confiscate the funds.I will be
counting on your reputation as being reliable and rightfull for these
transaction.I have mapped out positive measures to facilitate the
successful claim and payment of this funds to you and will carefully be
executed.These transaction is 100% risk free,so on gaining your interest to
assist claim these money then we can further discuss on the terms and
modalities for sharing of the money.I anticipate your prompt response with
your phone number and best way to reach you.Do reply mail to-->
geo_van20@hotmail.com
Sincerely,
GEOPHREY ALABASTEN.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam