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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• 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)
  • "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)
  • "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Louis Bethany" <louisbethany@o2.pl> (may be fake)
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2006 14:15:31 +0100
Subject: Proposition.

Dear Sir/Madam,
May I crave your indulgence to solicit your co-operation for partnership.
The protracted quest in locating relatives of my deceased client has been fruitless.
Along with some other passengers, my client died "INTESTATE" nine years ago in a plane crash as reported on this Site:" www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list <http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list>".
However, since he is dead and no more and no trace of any of his relatives living or dead, I decided and succeeded by virtue of my " POWER OF ATTORNEY" to legitimately lodge the money(£4,300,000.00) into a security company in form of private placement here in London.
I need your assistance and co-operation to get this deal done.
What I basically want you to do for me is to take charge of the
funds for now because of the sensitive nature of my job and also before I finally come over to your country for a profitable investment.
I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
On smooth Conclusion of this transaction, you will be entitled to 25%
of the total sum as gratification,while 75% will be for me and my partners.
Please, you have been advised to keep this "Top Secret".
I assure you that this transaction is 100% risk free.
I expect your urgent reply as soon as you receive this message
Yours faithfully,
Louis Bethany(Esq.)
N:B, This transaction is confidential and risk free.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam