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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • markusuma_gulf@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr\. Markus Uma GULF CITIZEN BANK OF NIGERIA" <markusumagulf@bol.com.br>
Date: Fri, 12 May 2006 18:04:04 -0300
Subject: Dear Visser


Dear Visser,
Before I introduce myself, I wish to inform you that this letter is not a hoax mail and I urge you to treat it serious.
I am Mr. Markus Uma, a Banker with the Gulf Citizen Bank.I am the Accounts officer to late Mr. Michael J. Visser, the African Area Director of SIL International,who unfortunately died in the crash of Kenya Airways Flight 431 in Abidjan,Ivory coast ,January 30 2000. You will read more stories about the crash on visiting This website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/africa/641081.stm
Late Mr. Michael was from Sandwich, Illinois United States. Since the death of Mr. Michael, I as his accounts officer in the bank,have made several enquiries to locate his only surviving relation, without any success. I came across your name and contact, on the course of my personal searching for Michael's relations,so I decided to contact you for this project since you have thesame last name with Mr.Miichael.
I am contacting you to assist in repatriating and securing the wealth left behind in a fixed deposit account by Late Mr. Michael, before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by my bank. The board of my bank,has issued a notice that after 2 months from now And no next of kin shown up for the claim, the funds will be confiscated and declared unserviceable.Since I and my team have been unsuccessful in locating Late Mr. Michael's relatives for sometime now, I seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin of the deceased since you are a foreigner and you have thesame last name with Late Mr. Michael, so that the proceed of this deposit valued at ($USD12.2Million Dollars) can be released to you.
The bank will release the funds to any foreigner who has all related information/documents to the bank account. I am in charge of this matter in my bank ,because I am his accounts officer.Your application will be directed to my department for verification and Approval. Everything is under my control.
I shall provide you all the information and copy of the certificate of deposit issued to Late Mr. Michael when he deposited the funds.I shall also involve a good attorney who shall represent you in all the appropriate offices for the claim. Please,I also have all necessary information we need for the claim and once the money is transferred to you, I shall destroy all the documents used for the claim and leave no traces.After everything, you shall have 40% of the total sum,while 60% for me.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us conclude this business successfully. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.Late Mr. Michael was a very good man and it is not wise to allow his hard earned wealth to be stolen by the greedy directors of my bank.
Therefore, if this offer is accaptable to you,please forward me with your Full Names,Contact Mobile &Telephone & Fax Number,Company Name & Home Address for further documentation and briefing.I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Please If you are Interested in Assisting,Then kindly Reply Through this Private and Confidentail Email Address: (markusuma_gulf@yahoo.co.uk) For further documentations and briefing.
PLEASE, TREAT THIS PROPOSAL AS TOP SECRET.
Best Regards
Mr. Markus Uma

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam