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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • +447031848345 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • barrfredbartlettx@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "barrfredbartlett" <barrfredbartlett@terra.com.mx>
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 18:50:31 -0600
Subject: Attn:Sir/Madam: Can I Present You As Next Of Kin To Late Ms. S. Marufu?


>From The Desk Of:
Barrister Fred Bartlett
Fred Bartlett & Associates
96 Cricklewood Broadway,
London, UK
Tel: +44-703-1848345
Fax: +44-207-6813291
Confidential E-mail: barrfredbartlettx@yahoo.com

Dear Sir/Madam,

Compliments of the season. It is indeed my pleasure to write to you this letter, which I believe will be a suprise, as we are both complete strangers. I am Fred Bartlett of "Fred Bartlett & Associates" we are solicitor at law. We are the personal attorney to Late Ms. S. Marufu --, a national of your country, who perished in Egyptair Flight 990 with the whole passengers aboard on 31st Oct 1999.
(http://www.greatdreams.com/plane90b.htm)
CNN News (http://www.cnn.com/US/9910/31/egyptair.families.02/)
Before her death on the 31st oct 1999 our client {Late Ms. S. Marufu} as she likes to be addressed, who was a one time secret agent in transfering of money overseas for Late head of state of one Africa country, deposited the sum of USD$12.5M [Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars] in a Security Company's Vault here in Europe for herself, with the hope of transferring it to her country as soon as she is on leave.

Since her death we have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, we decided to trace her last name over the internet, to locate any member of her family hence I contacted you. We have contacted you to assist in repartrating the money and property left behind by our client before they get confisicated or declared unserviceable by the Security Company where this huge deposits were lodged particularly, the Security Company where the deceased had a deposit valued at about USD$12.5M [Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars] has issued us a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confisicated within the next ten official working days.

Since we have been unsuccesfull in locating the the relatives for over 3 years now we seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last name so that the proceeds of this account valued at USD$12.5M [Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars] can be paid to you and then we and you can share the money. 70%= "$8.75MUSD" to us "Fred Bartlett & Associates" and 30%= "$3.75M USD" to you. We have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. All we require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
Please get in touch with me through our Confidential E-mail: barrfredbartlettx@yahoo.com to enable us discuss further. Don't forget to include your tel/fax numbers while replying this mail for easy communication.
Best Regards,
Barrister Fred Bartlett
Fred Bartlett & Associates
Tel: +44-703-1848345.
Fax: +44-207-6813291

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam