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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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.

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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)
• 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.
  • acphilip_exec@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Philip Cole <philip@philipcole.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 07:18:28 +0100 (CET)
Subject: Urgent Assistance Needed!


Dear Sir/Madam,

Compliment of the season to you. With all due respect, I am Mr. Philip A. Cole, a Credit Control manager in the Treasury/Credit Control Unit of an investment Bank here in London to be disclosed to you upon receipt of your response. . I am contacting you with regards to one of the deceased customers of our bank who died in an accident with his entire family {wife and son} sometime ago.

The Bank has issued me a notice to provide a new next of kin or have the account declared unserviceable within the next two weeks, or have the fund regarded as sundry funds and declared unserviceable, which would give the bank and its shareholders the right to claim the money.

Based on this notice and In order to avert this negative development, I have already secured from the probate, an order of Madamus instruction to locate where any of my late client's Next of Kin, family or probably a new next of kin for him or her to come forward and claim the funds.

I now seek your permission to have you stand as the Next of Kin to my late client, so that his proceeds valued at £21,840.000.00 Million Pounds left behind by my client will be released and transferred to you as the new Next of Kin since I discovered that you have the same name with my late client.

I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law and I believe that you will be competent and capable to champion a business of such magnitude without any circumvention on your part.

Upon your response, all neccessary directives and needed information concerning the transaction, the deceased, as well as the sharing modalities and my willingness for subsequent investment of my share either in your country or any country you may advise, will be relayed to you. For further information, do reply to acphilip_exec@excite.com

I anticipate your kind response

Best regards,

Philip A. Cole

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam