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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:
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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "30% for you " (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))
  • "lagos" (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.
  • johnsonokocha1@zipmail.com.br (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: johnsonokocha1@zipmail.com.br
Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2006 19:45:32 -0700
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?URGENT=20ATTENTION?=

FROM THE DESK OF MR.JOHNSON OKOCHA,
ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC,
LAGOS-NIGERIA.
EMAIL: johnsonokocha1@zipmail.com.br

ATTENTION:PRESIDENT/CEO,
STRICTLY A PRIVATE BUSINESS PROPOSAL,
I AM MR.JOHNSON OKOCHA, THE MANAGER, BILLS AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE
DEPARTMENT OF THE ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC. I AM WRITING THIS LETTER
TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND COOPERATION TO CARRY OUT THIS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
IN MY DEPARTMENT. WE DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF $15,000,000.00 (FIFTEEN
MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF
OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMERS WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY OF A WIFE AND
TWO CHILDREN IN PLANE CRASH. SINCE WE HEARD OF HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING
HIS NEXT-OF-KIN TO COME OVER AND PUT CLAIMS FOR HIS MONEY AS THE HEIR,BECAUSE
WE CANNOT RELEASE THE FUND FROM HIS ACCOUNT UNLESS SOME ONE APPLIES FOR
CLAIM AS THE NEXT-OF-KIN TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES.
UNFORTUNATELY, NEITHER THEIR FAMILY MEMBER NOR DISTANTRELATIVE HAS EVER
APPEARED TO CLAIM THE SAID FUND. UPON THIS DISCOVERY,I AND OTHER OFFICIALS
IN MY DEPARTMENT HAVE AGREED TO MAKE BUSINESS WITH YOU AND RELEASE THE TOTAL
AMOUNT INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS THE HEIR OF THE FUND SINCE NO ONE CAME FOR IT
OR DISCOVERED HE MAINTAINED ACCOUNT WITH OUR BANK, OTHERWISE THE FUND WILL
BE RETURNED TO THE BANKS TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUND.WE HAVE AGREED THAT
OUR RATIO OF SHARING WILL BE AS STATED THUS; 30% FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER,
60% FOR US THE OFFICIALS IN MY DEPARTMENT AND 10% FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF
ALL LOCAL AND FOREIGN EXPENCES INCURRED BY US AND YOU DURING THE COURSE
OF THIS BUSINESS. UPON THE COMPLETION OF THIS TRANSFER, I AND ONE OF MY
COLLEAGUES WILL COME TO YOUR
COUNTRY AND MIND OUR SHARE. IT IS FROM OUR 60% WE INTEND TO IMPORT AGRICULTURAL
MACHINERIES INTO MY COUNTRY AS A WAY OF RECYCLING THE FUND. TO COMMENCE
THIS TRANSACTION, WE REQUIRE YOU TO IMMEDIATELY INDICATE YOUR INTEREST BY
A RETURN E-MAIL AND ENCLOSE YOUR PRIVATE CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER,FAX NUMBER,FULL
NAME,ADDRESS AND YOUR DESIGNATED BANK COORDINATES TO ENABLE US FILE LETTER
OF CLAIM TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS FOR NECESSARY APPROVALS BEFORE THE
TRANSFER CAN BE MADE. NOTE ALSO,THIS TRANSACTION MUST BE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
BECAUSE OF ITS NATURE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE.

MR.JOHNSON OKOCHA.
ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC.
N/B: ALL REPLY TO > johnsonokocha1@zipmail.com.br

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam