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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Peter Greg" <pettergreg123@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: petergreg@myway.com
Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2006 15:52:31 -0700
Subject: Response Required

Dear Friend,

Your e-mail address came up in a random draw

conducted by our law firm, (Greg & Co Chambers,) in

Lagos,Nigeria. I am Barrister Peter Greg, the Legal

Adviser and counsel to a deceased expatriate

contractor (Mr. Philip wang) who used to work with

Zenith Oil and Gas Company here in Nigeria thereafter

shall be referred as my late client.On the December

26th 2003, my client and his entire family died in a

plane crash in cotonou, Benin Republic. You will read

more stories about the crash on visiting

thiswebsite:www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/2

6/benin.crash/ he
was a well known philanthropist before he died, he

made a Will stating that $9.2m(Nine Million Two

Hundred Thousand USA Dollars Only) deposited at

EQUITY BANK NIGERIA PLC should be donated to any

Philanthropist of our choice overseas.We have made

a random draw where your e-mail address was

picked as the beneficiary to this Will.

I am particularly interested in securing this money

from the bank, because they have issued a notice

instructing us to produce the beneficiary of this Will

within two weeks or else the money will be credited

to the Government treasury as per law here.
It is my outmost desire to execute the Will of our late

client (Mr. Philip wang) in your favour and therefore,

you are required to contact me immediately to start

the process of sending this money to any of your

designated official account. However, I want you to

forward to me your

FULL NAMES :
ADDRESS :
OCCUPATION :
PHONE NUMBER:
AGE :
NATIONALITY :
MARRIAGE STATUS:

Upon the receipt of the aboved informations i will

forward to you the address to the bank where you

shall file your application to, as the bank has already

make request for this to enable them issue the

beneficiary certificate in your favour. Please act fast

and contact me via my private email address, for

further details and clarifications
Regards,
Barrister Peter Greg.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam