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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "money orders " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• This email message is a company representative scam. This type of job offer scam involves the cashing of fake checks and money orders. It could expose you to losses of tens of thousands of dollars as well as to the risk of criminal prosecution and (in some cases) imprisonment.
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +447031944374 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • charleswaston@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "C. WASTON" <charles@wastonfabric.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 12:26:05 +0000
Subject: WORK FROM HOME


WASTON TEXTILES AND FARICS COMPANY,
www.wastonfabric.com
13 Waveney Road,Lowestoft,Suffolk,
NR32 1BT,England
Phone Number +447031944374

Dear Sir/Madam,
Would you like to work online from home and get paid weekly ?
WASTON TEXTILES &FABRICS needs a book-keeper in the state,so i want to know if
you will like to work online from home and get paid weekly without leaving
or affecting your present job?
It's just that i presently run a textile and fabrics firm i inherited from
my late Dad in the UK and we need someone to work for the company as a
representative/book keeper in the states.
My company produces various clothing materials, batiks, assorted fabrics and
traditional costume which we have clients we supply weekly in the states.
My clients make payments for our supplies every week in form of Money Orders
or Casher's Cheque which are not readily cashable outside the United
States,So we need someone in the States to work as our representative and
assist us in processing the payments from our clients and i will pay
him weekly salary.
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS RECEIVE THIS PAYMENTS FROM OUR CLIENTS IN THE STATES GET IT CASHED IN YOUR BANK THEN DEDUCT YOUR WEEKLY PAY AND FORWARD THE BALANCE TO THE COMPANY DOWN HERE VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
Our payments will be issued out in your name and you get them cashed in your
bank deduct your weekly salary and foward the balance to the company via
western union money transfer
SO ALL I NEED IS TO FORWARD YOUR INFORMATIONS TO OUR CLIENTS IN THE STATES AND THEY ISSUE PAYMENTS IN FORM OF CASIERS CHECK OR MONEY ORDERS,THEN SEND IT TO YOU VIA MAIL OR COURIER.
I will need your Full name, Residential Address and Phone Number so we can
forward it to our clients and they will start making payments to you as the
company'representative in the states.
I WILL EMAIL YOU A LETTER OF EMPLOYMENT FROM OUR COMPANY WHICH YOU HAVE TO REPLY WITH AN ACCEPTANCE LETTER AND A SCANNED COPY OF YOUR INDETIFICATION ATTACHED TO IT.
AS SOON AS WE CONFIRM ANY PAYMENT COMING TO YOU I WILL LET YOU KNOW AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION TO SEND FUNDS TO THE COMPANY VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER OR MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER
I AWAIT YOUR URGENT RESPONSE GET BACK TO ME AT
charleswaston@yahoo.com
Warmest Regards
CHARLES WASTON

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam