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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:
  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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million united states 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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • allensmithxx@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Allen Smith" <allensmithx@msn.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:04:03 +0000
Subject: WATING FOR YOUR REPLY




FROM ALEN SMITH

DEAR SIR/MA

I AM A SENIOR ACCOUNTANT WITH THE FEDERAL MINISTRY
OF AVIATION IN NIGERIA.
PROPOSAL I WANT YOU TO ASSIST ME IN TRANSFERRING THE
SUM OF $20M (TWENTY MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS) OUT OF NIGERIA. THIS
MONEY
CAME FROM CONTRACT OVER INVOICING AND INFLATION
OF CONTRACT SUM. I BECAME THE CHIEF ACCOUNTANT OF MY
MINISTRY NOT LONG AGO. WHEN I ASSUMED OFFICE I
DISCOVERED THIS MONEY FLOATING IN MY MINISTRY'S
ACCOUNT. MY INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT THE MONEY
WAS MEANT FOR FOREIGN CONTRACTORS WHO DID SOME WORK
IN MY MINISTRY IN THE PAST. THESE FOREIGN
CONTRACTORS HAVE SINCE BEEN PAID IN FULL BUT THIS
MONEY STILL REMAINS AS A DEBT IN OUR ACCOUNT BOOKS.
I HAVE DECIDED TO SECRETELY TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY OUT
OF MY COUNTRY AND TO CONVERT THIS MONEY TO MY
PRIVATE USE. THE SAFEST WAY OF DOING THIS IS TO
TRANSFER THIS MONEY OVERSEAS ON THE PRETEXT THAT IT IS
BEING PAID TO CONTRACTORS THAT ARE BEING OWED BY
MY MINISTRY. THE MONEY WILL BE SENT TO YOU IN THE
GUISE THAT YOU DID SOME CONTRACT JOBS IN MY
MINISTRY. I WILL APPLY AND SECURE GOVERNMENT
APPROVALS FOR THE TRANSFER HERE IN MY COUNTRY. AND I WILL TAKE CARE
OF ANY EXPENSESS HERE FOR THE GOVERNMENT APPROVALS
REQUIREMENTS:
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU ARE;
1.. A GOOD BANK ACCOUNT WHERE THIS MONEY COULD BE
TRANSFERRED, THIS BANK ACCOUNT COULD BE IN YOUR
COUNTRY OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY PROVIDED THAT
GOVERNMENT TAX ON TRANSFERRED FUND DOES NOT EXCEED 5%.
2.. AN UNDERTAKING FROM YOU THAT YOU WILL NOT
CHEAT ME IF I TRANSFER THIS MONEY TO YOUR ACCOUNT.
3.. MOST IMPORTANTLY YOU MUST GUARANTEE TO KEEP
THIS BUSINESS SECRET.
SHARING RATIO:
AFTER THE MONEY IS TRANSFERRED TO A BANK ACCOUNT YOU
WILL PROVIDE, YOU WILL RECEIVE 15% OF THE TOTAL SUM
IT MAY TAKE US ABOUT 7 TO 14 DAYS FROM THE DAY I
RECEIVE A BANK ACCOUNT FROM YOU. TO FINISH THIS
BUSINESS DEPENDING ON YOUR LEVEL OF CO OPERATION
I WILL LIKE YOU TO SEND YOUR REPLY TO THIS E_MAIL UNDER
allensmithxx@yahoo.com
REGARDS
ALLEN SMITH.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam