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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a "Zimbabwe" 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.
  • j.willimas@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: <johnwill@centrum.cz>
Date:
Subject: FROM: JOHN WILLIAMS.


FROM: JOHN WILLIAMS.
ASSYLUM CAMP.ABIDJAN,
COTE D'IVOIRE, WEST AFRICA.
 
DEAR RESPECTFUL,
MY NAME IS JOHN WILLIAMS, THE THE ONLY SON OF LATE MR VINCENT R. WILLIAMS OF ZIMBABWE. IT MIGHT BE A SURPRISE TO YOU WHERE I GOT YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS,I GOT IT FROM ABIDJAN INFORMATION BUREAU.
 
DURING THE CURRENT CRISES AGAINST THE FARMERS OF ZIMBABWE BY THE SUPPORTERS OF OUR PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE TO CLAIM ALL THE WHITE OWNER FARMS IN OUR COUNTRY, HE ORDERED ALL THE WHITE FARMERS TO SURRENDER THEIR FARMS TO HIS PARTY MEMBERS AND THEIR FOLLOWER.
MY FATHER WAS ONE OF THE BEST FARMERS IN THE COUNTRY AND KNOWING THAT HE DID NOT SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT'S POLITICAL IDEOLOGY,THE PRESIDENT'S SUPPORTERS INVADED OUR FATHER'S FARM BURNT DOWN EVERYTHING,SHOT HIM AND AS A RESULT OF THE WOUNDS SUSTAINED,HE BECAME SICK AND DIED AFTER TWO DAYS.AND AFTER HIS DEATH, I DECIDED TO MOVE OUT OF ZIMBABWE FOR THE SAFETY OF MY LIFE TO ABIDJAN-COTE D'IVOIRE.
 
BUT BEFORE HE DIED HE WROTE HIS WILL, WHICH READS MY BELOVED SON, I WISH TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SUM OF ($10 ,000,000) TEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS WHICH I DEPOSITED WITH A BOX IN A SECURITY COMPANY IN (ABIDJAN)COTE D'IVOIRE IN CASE OF MY ABSENCE ON EARTH CAUSED BY DEATH ONLY YOU SHOULD SOLICIT FOR A RELIABLE FOREIGN PARTNER TO ASSIST YOU TO CLAIM THE BOX OF MONEY AND TRANSFER IT INTO HIS ACCOUNT FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES.
I DEPOSITED THE MONEY IN YOUR NAME AND IT CAN BE CLAIMED BY YOU ALONE WITH THE DEPOSIT CODE.I HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTS WITH ME HERE.
 
TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR SELF , FROM THE ABOVE,YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT MY LIFE AND FUTURE DEPENDS ON THIS MONEY.
 
I WILL BE  VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU CAN ASSIST ME  I AM NOW LIVING IN ABIDJAN AS POLITICAL ASYLUM SEEKERS AND THE FINANCIAL LAW OF ABIDJAN-COTE D' IVOIRE DOES NOT ALLOW ASYLUM SEEKERS SUCH HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
IN VIEW OF THIS I CAN NOT INVEST THIS MONEY HERE IN ABIDJAN,HENCE I AM ASKING YOU TO ASSIST ME TO CLAIME THIS MONEY AND PUT IT INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT IN YOUR COUNTRY FOR THE CONTINUATION OF MY STUDIES AND INVESTMENT PURPOSES,FOR YOUR EFFOTRS I PREPARED TO OFFER YOU 15% OF THE TOTAL FUND,WHILE 5% WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR ANY EXPENSES MADE.
 
THEN THE REST WILL BE KEPT FOR ME FOR INVESTMENT AND MY EDUCATION. FINALLY, MODLITIES ON HOW THE TRANSECTION WILL BE DONE CONVEYED TO YOU ONCE WE ESTABLISH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE BETWEEN OURSELVES.
 
YOUR PHONE AND FAX NUMBER IS ALSO NEEDED AS SOON AS YOU REPLY THE DEPOSIT DOCUMENTS WILL BE SEND  TO YOU FOR YOUR CONFORMATION AND CONTACT OF THE SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN ABIDJAN WILL BE GIVEING  TO YOU IMMEDIATELY THEN AFTER THE TRANSACTION I WILL BE COMEING OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR   INVESTMENT POPOSES AND THE CONTINUATION OF MY STUDIES WHEN THE MONEY MUST HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED   INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT.
 
NOTE: THE KEY WORD TO THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE, YOUR URGENT RESPONSE WILL BE HIGHLY     APPRECIATED PLEASE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR URGENT REPLY FOR DETAILED INFORMATION.
 
FOR MORE CONFIDENCIAL SEND ME EMAIL VIA: j.willimas@yahoo.fr
 
THANKS.
YOURS SINCERELY,
JOHN WILLIAMS.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam