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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • anth_williams03@yahoo.it (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "anth_williams1@terra.es" <anth_williams1@terra.es>
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 15:46:23 +0200 (MEST)
Subject: URGENT RELPY NEEDED




Dear Sir/Madam,



My name is Chief Barrister Anthony Williams. I am a lawyer and the personal attorney to MR. MORRIS THOMPSON, an American citizen from the state of Alaska. Thompson was a Category "A" contractor to the Nigerian government before he died together with his wife and their only daughter aboard Alaska Airline flight number 261, on 31st of January, 2000.



Payment of Twenty Two Million United States Dollars for the last contract he did for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 1998 before his death in 2000 is ready for release. The contract payment is ready for release by INEC but nobody is to receive the payment because he has no Next-of-Kin in his file at INEC, hence I have been asked by INEC as his attorney to provide the Next-of-Kin for the claim of the money within the next 21 official working days.



Since I have been unsuccessfully in locating my late client's

relatives, I seek your consent therefore to present you as (an Appointed) Next-of-Kin, so that this contract payment would be released to you and then, you and I can share it at the rate of 50/50. I must let you know that your name and place of residence does not matter in this process. I also want you to understand that we will not be doing bad to humanity by claiming the payment because if we do not claim it, the government will retain it as nobody is to receive the funds as Thompson's next-of-kin.



If you are interested in this offer, kindly indicate by sending the following information to me for immediate submission of claim application to the INEC in your favour. The information I want from you are: (1) your full name. (2) Your full address. (3) Your age & occupation. (4) Your private telephone and fax numbers. Let me hear from you.



Reply through my private E-mail: anth_williams03@yahoo.it



Best regards,

Chief Barrister Anthony Williams.

















Prueba el Nuevo Correo Terra; Seguro, r&aacute;pido, fiable.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam