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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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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:
  • "huge sum 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)
  • "million 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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • phillip.cohen@katamail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "phillip cohen" <phc_08h@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:25:25 +0000
Subject: Urgent response

You're attention:

I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a huge sum of money
from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude
will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all
will be well at the end of the day’s decided to contact you due to the
urgency of this transaction.

I discovered an abandoned sum of (Nine Million United States Dollars) in an
account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died. Since his
death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims
to this money as the heir. We cannot release the fund from his account
unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as
indicated in our banking guidelines. Upon this discovery, I now seek your
permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all
documentations will be carefully worked out for the funds (Nine Million
United States Dollars) to be released in your favour as the beneficiary's
next of kin.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual
business endeavor by furnishing me with the following; Your Names and
Address and direct Telephone number.These requirements will enable me file a
letter of claim to the appropriate departments for necessary approvals in
your favour before the transfer can be made.
I shall be compensating you on final conclusion of this project. Your share
stays with you while the rest shall be for investment purposes in your
country, as I’m due for retirement.

Should you be interested, please send me an email on the email address below
for further information that will help us make some decisions on how you
will receive the money. phillip.cohen@katamail.com

Regards

Phillip Cohen

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam