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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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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)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "trunk box" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "trunk boxes" (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)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • atsmith_55@yahoo.es (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "rtventure9" <rtventure9@canada.com>
Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2006 07:39:45 -0800
Subject: Letter From Smith.

Dear Friend,

I am Mr. Anthony smith , deputy senior regional manager at
Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance in Yorkshire. I have urgent
and very confidential business proposition for you. On June
6, 2000, Mr. Barry Kelly made a numbered time (Fixed)
Deposit for forty-eight months, (being four years) valued at
US fourty Million Dollars in my branch.Upon maturity, I sent
a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no
reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we
discovered from his employers, that Mr. Barry Kelly died
from tsunami on his holidays in Thailand 26 December 2004.
On further investigation, I found out that he died without
making a WILL and all attempts to trace his next of kin was
fruitless. I therefore made further investigation and
discovered that Mr. Barry Kelly did not declare any kin or
relations in all his official documents, including his Bank
Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of US fourty Million
Dollars has carefully been moved out of my bank to a
security company for safekeeping.

No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to
British Law, at the expiration of (three) years, the money
will revert to the ownership of the British Government if
nobody applies to claim the fund. Consequently, my proposal
is that I will like you to stand in as the owner of the
money. I deposited it in consignments (two trunk boxes) with
a finance and security company. though the security company
does not know the contents of the consignments as I tagged
them to be photographic materials for export. I am writing
you because I as a public servant (Manager with the bank), I
cannot operate a foreign account or have an account that is
more than 1 Million Dollars.

I want to present you as the owner of the trunk boxes in the
security company so you can be able to claim them with the
help of my attorney. This is simple. I will like you to
provide immediately your full names and address so that the
Attorney will prepare the necessary documents which will put
you in place as the owner of the boxes. The money will be
moved out for us to share in the ratio of 70% for me and 30%
for you. There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for
this transaction will be done by the Attorney and this will
guarantees the successful execution of this transaction.

If you are interested, please reply immediately via my email
address (atsmith_55@yahoo.es) upon your response, I shall
then provide you with more details that will help you
understand the transaction. Please observe utmost
confidentiality, and be rest assured that this transaction
would be most profitable for both of us because I shall
require your assistance to invest my share into any
profitable business in your country.

Do send me your private/mobile telephone fax number so that
we can have a smooth communication.

Awaiting your urgent reply

Thanks and regards.
ATHONY SMITH



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam