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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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)
  • "million united states 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)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • bellomusa_1@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Bello Musa <bello@bmusa.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2006 21:00:27 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE


BELLO MUSA
DIAMOND BANK PLC
10 AZIKIWE STREET MARINA
VICTORIA ISLAND LAGOS
NIGERIA.
alternative email address, bellomusa_1@myway.com
My dear,
I choose to reach you through this medium because it is the fastest and
most reliable way of communication, as I wish to solicit for your
urgent assistance in what I strongly believe will be of great benefit
to both of us. I am Mr. Bello MUsa, an Accounts Manager with Diamond
Bank Plc Lagos Nigeria.
The issue I am presenting to you is a case of one of my late customer David Chang,a national of your country who died in an unknown circumstance leaving an unclaimed treasury bills (Bonds) with my bank.
In 2003, my late customer invested in treasury bill bonds here in my
bank in Nigeria totaling 15.5 million United states Dollars
($15,500,000.00) which was due to be collected in 2004 with accrued
dividends.
On my yearly appraisal of my customers at the turn of every
year, I discovered that this fixed deposit remained overdue for retrieval. I had put up series of mails and bank notifications to him which were sent back uncollected. I later discovered that he passed on along with his wife and only child in the tragic air crash in september 2003.
Since his death I have managed his account expecting any of his
extended relatives to come forward to claim his money but all attempts
to trace his relatives over the years has been fruitless since he did not declare any of his relatives information in his banking records with us. Added to this, professional ethics obligates us to act with extreme confidentiality when dealing with clients accounts of this type. According to the Nigeria banking law, the money will be bequeathed to the government if it remains unclaimed by the end of next month.
However, I don’t belong to that school of thought which proposes that
the fortunes of unlucky people be given to the government and I am
fully convinced that no one would turn up to execute the letter of
administration to claim his funds before this stipulated period.
Hence,I decided to contact you to come in as the next of kin to my late
customer so that the funds totalling $15,500,000.00 can then be
transferred to your nominated bank account in your country within 10
working days after we have filed in your claims transfer application to the
bank.
I have secured from the probate ofice and order that will assist you to
claim the funds as the next of kin and everything will be left between
you and I. The share would be 30% for your kind effort and assistance
and 60% for me while 10% have been mapped out to offset any incidental
expenditure we might incue in the course of the transaction. Again, I
feel that you may be apprehensive and consider this amount too big for you to defend. It does not matter, as every step will be carefully worked out by me to ensure a hitch free exercise to enable you get this fund as the next of kin . Do not be bothered that you are not related in any way to my late customer as I am in position to affix your name as the next of kin.
Fianlly having opened up to you in confidence i would appreciate if it
meets with your approval to reply by enclosing your Full Names, Mailing
Address telephone Number and fax if any and your occupation for
confidentiality, to enable me talk to you before I send you the
certificate of deposit and other relevant information relating to this fund transfer.
I need not emphasize the confidentiality of this issue and I therefore
appeal to you not discuss this request with anybody, even if you
decline to take full advantage of this great and urgent opportunity in
my bank.
I look forward to your quick reply by telephone or to my alternative
email address,bellomusa_1@myway.com
yours faithfully,
Mr.Bello Musa

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam