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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
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• 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.

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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +448704902124 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS STACEY BUSH" <staceybush@safe-mail.net>
Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 12:48:57
Subject: URGENT RESPOND



stacey & bush Chambers,
>From the desk of stacey bush,
Lane 52, Rhode Drive,Chelsea,
United Kingdom.
Phone/Fax: +44 870 490 2124

Dear Friend,
My name is stacey bush, a solicitor at law. I am the
personal attorney to a national of your country, Late
Mr. Robert Born, an independent oil magnate in my
country hereinafter, shall be referred to as my client
who died in a car crash with his immediate family on
the 20th of December,2000.

When he was alive, he operated an account which had a
closing balance of US$10,500,000.00 (Ten Million,Five
Hundred United State Dollars) as at the end of
December 2000.

I waited patiently for you to come forward and claim
late Robert's estate but you never showed up. Since i
was mandated by the financial institution to present a
beneficiary to my late client within the next 14
working days or the entire funds will be forfeited to
the government. As a result of this development, i
then decided to contact you and inform you that you
are the only surviving next of kin to late Robert
since you may not be aware.

At this point, immediately you receive these email
reply back to me with your full contact information
including phone and fax numbers so that I can forward
it to the financial institution as the only surviving
next of kin to Mr. Robert so that the financial
institution can start processing the release of the
funds to you before it is too late.
I await your urgent response.

Yours Sincerely,
stacey bush.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam