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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:

• 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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand u.s 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)
  • "cotonou" (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.
  • simeonjohnson8@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "simeonjohnson1" <simeonjohnson1@terra.com.mx>
Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2006 19:11:26 -0600
Subject: URGENT''



PLEASE , REPLY USING MY PRIVATE EMAIL POST FOR SECURITY REASONS THUS ; simeonjohnson8@myway.com

Dear Friend,
Let me start by introducing myself properly to you. I am the manager Bills and Exchange of Foreign Remittance Office of Equitorial Trust Bank Plc. In accordance with Federal Government Policies on indeginization Law on company and Allied matters of Jan 1972. I am writing you this letter to ask for your support and co-operation to carry out this transaction.

We discovered an abandoned sum of US$20.5 Million (Twenty Million, Five Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our Foreign customer who died along side his entire family on 21st of April, 1999 in an auto crash along cotonou/benin Expressway. Their bodies were kept in the mortuary for five months to enable the Police carry out proper investigation and possibly locate their surviving relatives. They checked through all public files, records and embassies and all efforts proved abortive. Since this development, we have advertised for his next of kin or any close relative to come forward to claim this money, but nobody
came to apply for the claim.

To this effect, I have decided to look for a trusted foreign partner who can stand in as the next of kin to the deceased and claim this money.A foreign partner is required to apply for the claim because of the fact that the customer was a foreigner and we don't want this money to go into the Bank's Treasury as unclaimed fund.

Every documentation shall be done in accordance with the banking law and guidelines, So you have nothing to worry about. As a matter of business, 35% of the money will be for you, 5% for expenses incurred on both parties while 60% will be for myself.

I guarantee that this will be executed under a legal arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. I await your immediate reply to enable us start this transaction in earnest. Once I receive your reponse indicating willingness to assist in the realization of this transaction, I shall send you an elaborate email explaining the procedure and subsequently a Text of Application which you have to send to the bank for immediate
of claims of the funds.
I look forward to receiving your immediate response.
Have my best regards and God bless you. Do reply to my
alternative email address:simeonjohnson8@myway.com
Simeon Johnson.

URGENT''

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam