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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:
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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • br_simonduke@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • br_simonduke2@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Simon Duke" <simonduke@sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 18:37:46 +0000
Subject: OFFICE OF BARRISTER SIMON DUKE(SAN)

OFFICE OF BARRISTER SIMON DUKE(SAN)
TEMPLE CHAMBERS
LAGOS STATE
NIGERIA.

EMAIL:br_simonduke@sify.com
EMAIL:br_simonduke2@sify.com

Dear friend
I got your contact from the british chamber of comerce.
I am Barrister simon duke, personal attorney to Eng. samuel moore.

a white foriegner who used to work with petrolchemical Oil Company here in
Nigeria. Herein after,shall be referred to as my client. My client with his
entire family(The wife and Children) were involved in a local plane crash at
kano enroute abuja(capital city)in Nigeria on may 2003, the crash claimed
all occupant aboard the airline. Unfortunately,my client and the family lost
their lives in that disaster that needed not to have happened. Since then I
have made several inquiries to the embassy to locate any of my clients
extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After several
unsuccessful attempts.

My purpose of contacting you is to assist in repatriating the money and
property left behind by my client prior to his death before they get
confiscated or declared unserviceable by the company where this huge
deposits were lodged in, where the deceased had an account valued at about
US$13.8Million dollars. The company had issued me a notice to provide the
next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next 30 official
working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating his relatives for
over one year now.

I seek your consent as the next of kin of the deceased, so that the proceed
of this account valued at US$13.8 million dollars can be paid to you. I
shall provide you with all the necessary official and legal documents that
will be used to back up your claim as the attorney to the deceased.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable me as the legal attorney
to the deceased in seeing that you receive the fund.I guarantee you as the
legal attorney to the deceased that this deal is 100% risk free. i implore
you to get back to me via any of the email addresses
above:br_simonduke@sify.com or br_simonduke2@sify.com,upon your acceptance
to claim the fund.

meanwhile be informed that you are entitle to 40% of the said fund while the
remaining 60% goes to me.expecting your urgent reply.

Faithfully Yours,
Barr.simon duke (SAN)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam