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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "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.
  • dbenson001@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "DAVID BENSON" <davidbenson3331@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: dbenson001@myway.com
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 01:54:42 +0000
Subject: INFORMATION !!!

From the Desk of DAVID BENSON.
Attention : SIR/MADAM.

Dear SIR/MADAM,

My name is DAVID BENSON, I am a banker with one of the banks in Lagos in Nigeria. I have urgent and very confidential business proposition for you. On 14th of January 2000 One (Mr. Kurt Kahle) that own a private business school made a numbered time(Fixed) deposited for twelve calendar months, valued at $15,320,000.00 (Fifteen million,three hundred and twenty thousand united states dollars-five) in my branch.

Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month,I sent a reminder and finally we discovered that he was one of the Families wiped out on Monday, 31 July, 2000, 13:22 GMT 14:22 UK in the Concorde crash with his 37-year-old wife and son Michael, aged eight.

Please I will refer you to the website of the concorde plane crash:

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

On further investigation, I found out that he did not leave a WILL and all attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless. I therefore made further investigation and discovered that he did not declare any next of kin in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork.

This sum of US$15,320,000.00 is still sitting in the Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will come forward to claim it.

According to the Nigerian Law, at the expiration of 5 (five) years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Nigerian Government{STATE} if nobody applies to claim the funds. Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in as his next of kin so that the fruits of this old man's labor will not get into the hands of some corrupt officials. I will intimate you with the requirements that the attorney will need to prepare the necessary documents and affidavits, which will put you in place as the next of kin upon your positive response.

We shall employ the services of two attorneys for drafting and notarization of the WILL and obtain the necessary documents and letter of probate/administration in your favor for the transfer. A bank Account in any part of the world, which you provide, will then facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin. The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio of 70% for me and 30% for you, There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the attorney and my position as the Regional manager guarantees the successful execution of this transaction.

 

Upon your positive response,I shall let you know who i am,the name of my bank and the name of the deceased.I will also provide you with more details and relevant documents that will put you in a clearer picture of this pending transaction.

Please observe utmost confidentiality, and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance to invest my share in your
country.

Please reply via this email address:dbenson001@myway.com

Awaiting your urgent reply Yours faithfully.

DAVID BENSON.

 

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam