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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million us 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (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.
  • larry2lam@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Larry Lam" <larry2lam@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2006 11:42:38 +0100
Subject: PROPOSAL FROM THE DESK OF MR LARRY LAM, RESPOND PLEASE.


*FROM THE DESK OF MR LARRY LAM,
EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF GROUP AUDIT,
OVERSEA CHINESE BANK (OCBC), SINGAPORE.*


*Dear,

I am the EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF GROUP AUDIT here in SINGAPORE.
In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of US$25m dollars (TWENTY
FIVE MILLION US DOLLARS) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign
customer (MR. ANDREAS SCHRANNER from Munich, Germany) who died along with
his entire family in July 2000 in a plane crash.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THIS SITE BELLOW

**http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm*<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm>

*Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his
next of kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release
it unless some body applies for it as next of kin or relation to the
deceased as indicated in our banking laws and guidelines but unfortunately
we
learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him

at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim. It is therefore upon

this discovery that I now decided to make this business proposal to you and
release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased
for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and we
don't want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill.

The banking laws and guidelines here stipulate that if such money
remained unclaimed after five years, the money will be transfered into
the bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of foreigner as next of
kin in this business is occassioned by the fact that the customer was a
foreigner and a Scottish cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.I agree
that 30% of this money will be for you as a respect to the provision of a
foriegn account , 10% will be set aside for expenses incurred during the
business and 60% would be for me Thereafter, I will visit your country for
disbursement according to the percentage indicated Therefore, to enable
the immediate transfer of this fund to you arranged,you must apply first to
the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your
bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax
number for easy and effective communication and location where in the money
will be remitted.Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or
email the text of the application .

I will not fail to bring to your notice this transaction is hitch-free
and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required
arrangements have been made for the transfer.

You should contact me immediately at:

**larry2lam@yahoo.com*<http://eng.mail.ru/cgi-bin/sendmsg?compose&To=larry2lam%40yahoo.com>
*

as soon as you receive this letter.

When writing back to me i will like you to provide to me the answers to
these questions:

1.your age

2.your marital status

3.your occupation

4.if you are ready to keep the transaction as top secret as i do not
want it to jeopadise or have my reputable immage dented

5.your financial capability in handling this transcation as money will
be involved

6.your credibility and reliability as to avoid betrayal from you or
seating on my share when the funds finaly hits your bank account

7.that all my instructions as an insider and as the initiator of the
transaction would be taken for the betterment of a hitch-free transfer and
also include your private telephone and fax number.

Your immediate response shall be most appreciated as the urgency of the
transfer implies; for we don't have enough time again to excute this
transaction.

Trusting to hear from you immediately.

Yours Faithfully,
MR LARRY LAM.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam