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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)
  • "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.
  • mr.thompson1962@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "thompson1962" <thompson1962@terra.com.mx>
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2006 06:05:45 -0600
Subject: From: Mr. Thompson


From: Mr. Thompson Bowoh,
Banque D'argent Plc,
B.P. No. 29, Porto-Novo,
Republic Of Benin.
Alt. E-mail: mr.thompson1962@yahoo.fr

Dear Friend,

I sincerely write, to seek your co-operation and trust in an urgent business transaction. I work with Banque D'argent Plc (translated as: Money Bank Plc) in Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin. Presently, i am in charge of bills and exchange at the foreign remittance department. I was the account's officer to Mr. & Mrs. Jim B. Russell, who worked with Chevron Oil company, but both died in the December 26, 2003 Air Crash here in The Republic of Benin.

PLEASE, VIEW THE WEBLINK BELOW:
www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html

Mr. Russell left in his domiciliary account, a total sum of $7.32 million (Seven million, Three hundred and Twenty thousand US Dollars). Since the management got the news of his tragic death, we have been expecting any of his relatives/next of kin to come up and claim his/her inherittance funds. Unfortunately, from the day of his death till the time of this letter, nobody has come up for the claim. As his personal account's officer, i decided to search through his classified record files and i discovered that the only next of kin he specified was his wife, who died along with him in the fatal plane crash.

The banking and financial law of inherittance of Banque D'argent Plc, stipulates that if such funds remain unclaimed after a period of (36) months, it would be lost to the bank as an "unclaimed deposit". On that note, I have decided to do business with you so that the money could be released to you as a next of kin to the deceased for subsequent disbursement between us. I would soon proceed on my retirement, and i personally do not want the funds to be lost to the bank.

The need for a foreigner as a next of kin in this project is necessitated by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a beninnese/beninnois will not perfectly fit in as his next of kin or heir. That is why i am contacting you. Please, note that it does not really matter whether you are truly related to the deceased or not, because there is never going to be any background check or investigation whatsoever on you. Consider that, a top secret from an insider that knows it all. Also, note that you are not to appear in person and as such, there is absolutely no risk involved.

I have made up my mind that 35% of the total funds would be for you, as a foreign partner. As soon as the funds are transfered into your bank account, i would visit you in your country for sharing, according to the percentages indicated. To enable the immediate transfer of the funds into your designated bank account, you would have to fill an application form for such claim as the next of kin to the deceased. There, you will designate your bank account into which the money will be remitted. If you feel uneasy giving out your private bank account information, you could provide a new bank account solely for the purpose of this transaction.

Upon my receipt of your message indicating your interest and full assurance that you would peacefully let me have my own share of the fund after it must have been transfered into your bank account, i would send to you, a copy of a next of kin application form and the deceased's bank account information. You would have to correctly fill the application form and then, send to the director of foreign remittance for onward processing, approval and transfer of the funds into your designated bank account. Please, let me have your direct mobile phone numbers for effective communication. Waiting for your prompt response.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr. Thompson Bowoh.
Alt. e-mail: mr.thompson1962@yahoo.fr

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam