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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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.

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:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was sent to thousands of people)
  • "lagos" (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.
  • frank_obi1960@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Professor Frank Obi <frank_obi1960@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: frank_obi1960@myway.com
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 03:00:28 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Professor Frank Obi


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: frank_obi1960@yahoo.com

Professor Frank Obi

Bank Of The North,

Victoria Island Branch,

Lagos, Nigeria.


ATTN: MD/CEO


I am Professor Frank Obi, Branch Manager with Bank of the North, Victoria Island Branch, Lagos, Nigeria.

I have an urgent and very profitable business proposition for you that should be handled with extreme confidentiality.


On January 6,1998 a Foreign Oil Consultant and contractor with the Nigerian National Petroleum

Corporation (NNPC) Mr. James Herbert by name made a numbered time Fixed Deposit for twelve calendar months

valued at US$38.6M (Thirty Eight Million, Six Hundred United States Dollars Only) in my branch.


Upon maturity I sent a routine notification in accordance with the Bank policy to his forwarding

address but got no reply. After a month we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers

the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that Mr. James Herbert died from an automobile accident.

On further investigation, we found out that he died without making a Will and all attempts to trace his

next of kin were fruitless. I therefore made further investigations and discovered that Mr. James Herbert

did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents including his Bank Deposit

paperwork in my Bank.


This sum of US$38.6M has been carefully moved out of my bank to a Security Company in Europe for

safekeeping. No one will ever come forward to claim it and according to Nigerian Law, at the expiration of 5

years the money will revert to the ownership of the Nigerian Government if nobody applies to claim the

fund.


This prompted us to contact you.We will like to front you as the next of kin of our late client thereby

making you the legal beneficiary of the sum of $38.6 million U.S Dollars that is presently in a Security

Company in Europe. I contacted you because it is against our code of ethics to own and operate foreign accounts and your

assistance would be needed to claim the money in the Security Company in Europe.


We have unanimously agreed that 25% of the entire sum would be for you if you agree to take part in this

profitable transaction,70% for me and 2 of my colleagues while the remaining 5% would be used to pay

back the expenses that may be incurred during the course of the transaction by both parties after the

fund has been claimed and lodged in your account. In the event that you are genuinely interested in the

transaction, the following information would be needed from you to expedite action.


1) Your Full Name and Address that would be used to establish you as the next of kin of our late client

thereby making you the legal beneficiary of the fund. This would ensure that the Security Company in Europe

releases the Consignment/Fund to you.


2) Your Private Mobile,Telphone and Fax numbers where you can be reached at all time because this

transaction entails constant communication.


The transaction is 100% risk free as all modalities has been perfected to ensure the hitch free success of

the transaction. If you are interested, send the requested information via email and fax to the fax number stated below so

that we can proceed and after sending it you call me.


I await your response urgently.


Regards,






- Professor Frank Obi

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam