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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
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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:

• 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)
  • "trunk box" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "James Kelvin" <jameske23@uk2.net> (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 17:32:38 -0700
Subject: URGENT REPLY

My name is James Kelvin, 23 years the son
of the late Dr Charles Kelvin, a black rich
farmer of Zimbabwe. My daddy died during the
recent farmland dispute in Zimbabwe.

Before my father died, he instructed and confided in
me as his first son about his business and secrecy.
As a matter of fact my father gave me some documents
bearing the name of a security company in Accra the
capital of Ghana, which was the place he
deposited huge amount of money when he had an
information about the coming farmland dispute.

This money which is in the amount of $13.6MILLON USD is now
at the vault of this security company. With
the document my father gave to me, I escaped to Accra,
Ghana where I am currently a refugee. The security
company show me one sealed trunk box with the
inscription "FAMILY VALUABLES" with my name used as
next of kin in the deposit document. How ever my father
had earlier informed me that he cleverly packed the
US$13.6MILLON in the sealed trunk box and he told the
security company that it contain family valuables. this he did
in order to conceal the money from being detected.

I need a foreign partner with the image of God in him
who will equally not disapoint me because I want to
transfer this money US$13.6Millon into his account in
abroad, On completion of this transaction, I wish to
offer 20% of the total sum for your assistance. there
is no risk involved both now and in future.

i can send you the documents that cover the box in the
security company for you to confirm. Please reply urgent
to my private email jameske23(AT)uk2.net

God Bless.
I need your urgent response.

Best regards

James Kelvin

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam