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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "trunk box" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million us 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)
  • "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +22507661160 (Cote d'Ivoire, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • miss.vilam_vilam2@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Miss.Vilam Miss.Vilam." <miss.vilam2@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: miss.vilam_vilam2@yahoo.fr
Date: Mon, 1 May 2006 13:00:05 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: From: Miss. Vilam.


From: Miss. Vilam.
Rue 12 Avenue williamsville Abidjan,
Republic of Cote D' Ivoire.

Dearest Friend.

My name is Miss Vilam. an orphan to the late former minister of
finance in Liberia Dr. Thomas Vilam who died as a result of rebel
attack during one of their peace keeping forum in the year 2003.

I inherited a total sum of $8.5 million US dollars from my late
parents. This money which is concealed in a metallic trunk box is
deposited with a security and finance company in Ivory Coast under a
secret arrangement as a family treasure. This means that the security
company does not know the real content of this box that was deposited
in their security costody.

My main purpose of sending you this mail is because of the way I found
you and perhaps trustworthy to give this priority of shipping this box
of money to any address that you think is very secured and safe in
place with your percentage of which we shall chat on soon. I will come
over to your country to continue my education as soon as the funds is
claimed by you.

There is need for urgent action because I am paying US $45 dollars per
day as a demurrage charges to the security company for keeping this
consignment. I give thanks immensely for the co-operation as I look
forward to hear from you soonest.

Best Regard,
Miss Vilam.
Contact me back on this Email Address,
miss.vilam_vilam2@yahoo.fr
contact the security director to know very much about with his number,
+225 07661160


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam