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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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.

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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)
  • "million us 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)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Jacob Tutuh <jacobtutuh@terra.com.mx>
Reply-To: jacobtutuh@rediffmail.com
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 12:37:41 +0100
Subject: .Hello


From The Desk Of Jacob Tutuh
Bill and Exchange Manager
CAJA DE FORTUNA BANK (FOREIGN PAYMENT AND PROCEESING
CENTRE)
Calle Vizcaya 2 Atocha,28045 Madrid Spain .\

Dear Sir,

With due respect and humility, I write to you this
proposal.I am the Manager of bill and exchange at the
foreign remittance department of Caja De Fortuna
Banco in Madrid. I am writing following the
impressive information about you, l got your contact
in my quest for a reliabe and capable person to assist
me in this deal.
Though I know that a business of this magnitude will
make any one apprehensive, but I am assuring you that
all will be well at the end of the day. We have
decided to contact you by email due to the urgency of
this "deal", as we have been reliably informed of your
honesty and ability in a transaction of this nature.
In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of
US$30m dollars (THIRTY Million US dollars) in an
account that belongs to one of our foreign customer
(MR. ANDREAS SCHRANNER from Munich, Germany) who died
along with his entire family in July 2000 in a plane
crash.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
About his death, we have been expecting his next of
kin to come forward and claim his money because we
cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as
next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated
in our banking guidelines and policies but
unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of
kin or relation died alongside with him at the ugly
plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claims. It
is therefore upon this discovery that I have decided
to make this businness proposal to you to transact
this DEAL with you and to act as the next of kin or
relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent
disbursement since nobody is coming forth and l dont
want this money to go into the Bank treasury as
unclaimed Bill.
According to our Banking policies and guideline here
which stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed
after five years,the money will automatically be
transfered into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund.
My request for a foreigner to ac t as next of kin in
this business is by the fact that the customer was a
foreigner and a citizen of this country cannot stand
or put claims as next of kin to a foreigner. l agreed
to offer 30% of the total fund to you, for your
assistance, to act as the next of Kin to the
foreigner,to provide account, 10% will be for
reimbursement of any expenses incured during the curse
of the transaction.
There after, I and my family will visit your country
for disbursement and for investment in your country.
Therefore to enable the immediate transfer of this
fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to the
bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased
indicating your bank name, your bank account number,
your private telephone and fax number for easier and
effective
communication and location where the money will be
transfer. Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to
you by fax or email the text of the application. I
will not fail to bring to your notice that this
transaction is hitch free and that you should not
entertain any atom of fear as all required
arrangements have been made for the transfer.
Let truth and honesty be our watchword in this
transaction while I look forward to receiving your
immediate response through my security contact
information below.
Yours faithfully,
Jacob Tutuh

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam