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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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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "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.
• 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.
  • christjuan24@yahoo.es (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. CHRIST JUAN" <christanyim24@zwallet.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: christjuan24@rediffmail.com
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 15:18:50 +0200
Subject: very urgent

FROM: MR. CHRIST JUAN

I AM THE ABOVE NAME WORKING IN BANK HERE IN SPAIN AS
MANAGER OF BILLS AND EXCHANGE AT FOREIGN
REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF LA CAIXA BANK. I AM
WRITING THIS LETTER TO ASK FOR A SUPPORT AND
CO-OPERATION TO CARRY OUT THIS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IN
MY DEPARTMENT. I DISCOVER AN ABANDONED SUM OF
US$30,000,000.00 (THIRTY MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS
ONLY) IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN
CUSTOMER WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN
NOVEMBER 2002 IN A PLANE CRASH.
SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH WE HAVE BEEN
EXPECTING HIS NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS
MONEY BECAUSE BANK CANNOT RELEASE THE MONEY UNLESS
SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IT AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION
TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING
GUIDELINES. UNFORTUNATELY, NEITHER THE FAMILY MEMBER
NOR THE RELATION HAS APPEARED TO CLAIM THIS MONEY, AT
THIS DISCOVERY, I AND OTHER OFFICIALS IN THE
DEPARTMENT NOW DECIDED TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU AND
RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR
RELATION OF THE DECEASE FOR SAFETY AND SUBSEQUENT
DISBURSEMENT SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND WE
DON'T WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS
AN UNCLAIMED DEBT.
THE BANKING LAW AND GUIDELINES OF LA CAIXA BANK
STIPULATES THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAINED UNCLAIMED FOR A
PERIOD OF THREE (5) YEARS IT WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO
THE BANK TREASURY ACCOUNT AS UNCLAIMED FUND. THE NEED FOR A FOREIGNER AS NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS
OCCASSIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A
FOREIGNER AND A SPANISH CANNOT STAND AS HIS NEXT OF
KIN OR HEIR. WE AGREED THAT 25% OF THE MONEY WILL BE
FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER, THERE AFTER I WILL VISIT
YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGE INDICATED.
THEREFORE, TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THE
FUND TO YOU AS INDICATED. YOU MUST APPLY TO THE BANK
AS A RELATION OR NEXT OF KIN OF THE DECEASED, UPON RECEIPT OF
YOUR REPLY BY MAIL, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY MAIL THE TEXT OF
APPLICATION. AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER YOU
SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY AND INDICATE YOUR DIRECT RESIDENCE ADDRESS.
FAX AND CONFIDENTIAL TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY ON
MY E-MAIL: christjuan24@yahoo.es <mailto:christjuan24@yahoo.es>

YOURS FAITHFULLY,
MR. CHRIST JUAN

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam