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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +22993993293 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • info_boabenin@mail2broker.com

Fraud email example:

From: barr_ udo1 <barr_udo1@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 17:09:33 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Greetings to you, Suzie


ATTN: DR. DOSSOU MARK
HEAD, CLAIMS VERIFICATION AND APPROVAL BOARD,
BANK OF AFRICA, BENIN.

Email:info_boabenin@mail2broker.com
TEL: +229 93 99 32 93


Sir,


TEXT OF APPLICATION AS NEXT OF KIN ENGR.P.O MATT.


I,Mrs....................,of......................,Tel:.............................,Fax:..................., next of kin to ENGR.P.O Matt, who unfortunately lost his life along with his Family On the 21st of April 2000, in a car accident along bagida express road.and whose death was announced in your National Newspapers, do hereby apply for the claim of my kin's fund US$25.5million in his account No. BOA 001-00226-007 which has been lying in your bank since his death.

I am sorry for the late application because of, i was informed lately by his Legal Attorney Barr. Raymond Udonu, Also it was due to the circumstances of his death his Will was not presented until lately. The sudden death of ENGR.P.O MATT has put to hold all his on-going projects, so the release of the fund will enable us complete these on-going projects. I do therefore request your bank to transfer the fund left in his above account no. to my bank account with the following co-ordinates:

BANK NAME: .............................................

BANK ADDRESS: ....................................

ACCOUNT NAME: ....................................

ACCOUNT NUMBER: .................................

BANK SWIFT CODE: .................................

AGE................................................

OCCUPATION.......................................

I will be very grateful if my application is given due consideration,pledging my readiness to provide any required extra information to buttress my claim as the bona fide next of kin to ENGR.P.O MATT. And also make available my legal representative to any panel/board instituted by the bank to investigate this claim.

I do request that all communication regarding this should be done in English Language to enable me understand fully what is going on. Hoping that you will bear with the delay in forwarding this application, it had to do with situation in the family following the untimely death of
ENGR.P.O MATT.

Thanks for your anticipated co-operation.

Yours faithfully

Your Name.......................................

Sign...................................................

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam