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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "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.
  • w_ibru_2006@yahoo.es (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "williamibru1961" <williamibru1961@terra.com.mx>
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2006 11:50:03 -0600
Subject: Can you assist?


Greetings,

I am William Ibru, personal attorney to Mr Patrick Yao, an expartriate who used to work with Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), here in Nigeria. On the 2nd of January 2005, I recieved a call that my client died in the Tsunami Disaster with his wife and two kids while on vacation at Phuket Island in Thailand. Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my client's extended relatives. This has proved unsuccessful.

I have contacted you to assist in repartriating the money left behind by my client before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this deposit is lodged. Particularly, the bank where the deceased had an account valued at US$7,500,000.00 (Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).

The bank has issued me a notice to provide the next-of-kin or have the account confiscated. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the biological relatives of my late client, I hereby seek your consent to present you to the bank as next-of-kin of the deceased since you are a foreigner, so that the proceeds of this account valued at US$7.5M can be transfered to you as inheritance and thereafter, you and me can share the money; 50% to me and 45% to you, while 5% will be donated to the Tsunami Disaster Charity Fund.

I have original copy of Certificate of Deposit of the funds, which will be used to substantiate our inherittance claims. All I require is your consent and honest co-operation to enable us see the deal through. Furthermore, I guarantee that the transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please contact me via email to enable us discuss further.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
William Ibru,
Principal,
William Ibru & Associates,
Lagos, Nigeria.
Alternate Email: <w_ibru_2006@yahoo.es>

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam