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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "carlos gabriel" <carlos_gabriel2001@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2006 16:23:07 +0200
Subject: SG Societe Generale International Bank

Attn: The Director,
TOP SECRET

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION


I can't imagine how you will feel receiving a sudden business letter from a
remote country in far away South Africa and probably from some one you have
not closely related with. But all the same, I believe we do not need to be
of blood relatives before we can establish Cordial/business
relationship.

Having said this, I think it is very important at this juncture to
introduce myself to you and also disclose to you, how I came in contact with
your email address/profile. My name is Mr.Carlos Gabriel. I am the district
(Foreign operations) manager of Societe Generale Banque Group, South
Africa branch. I got your email address/profile from the Internet. It is my
pleasure to solicit your assistance in a very confidential business
proposal. I am contacting you because I do not want to transact the business
with anybody who is known to any staff of this bank or anybody around
hereto avoid any possible blackmail or leakage at the end of the
transaction.

THE PROPOSAL: There is an account in this bank, Societe Generale Banque
Group , which was opened in 1982 by one Mr.Marc Angers, an Australian
National, who worked with South Africa Department of Mining & Natural
Resources and since 1990 nobody has operated on this account. I had a very
careful study of the account files through which I carried an extensive
investigation about the holder of the said account and found out that Mr.
Marc Angers suddenly died in a plane crash in 1990 thereby abandoning the
account, having been fictitious regards the information he submitted to this
bank at the time of opening the account.

The account at this moment has no beneficiary since the name Mr.Marc filled,
as his next of kin has no contact information in the form he submitted to
the bank. I have secretly removed all the relevant files to the account from
the dormant section so that bank auditors will not verify the abandoned
money and refer it to Federal Treasury via South Africa reserve bank Credit
balance of the said account is US$40.25m (Forty-million, two hundred and
fifty United States Dollars) My Dear Friend, the deal here is that the money
in this account will be approved and remitted to any foreigner who shows up
as next of kin to Mr. Marc provided such person has correct information to
the account. I have such needed information and will hand it over to you as
soon as we commence the transaction.

I will source all necessary documents and forward them to you for direct
submission to the bank. With my position as the foreign operations manager
we will quietly remove this money from the bank without hitches. I don't
have any problem in regularizing all necessary documents and
transferring the credit balance of the said account to your nominated bank
account in overseas, but the problem is trust. I have spent months in trying
to get an overseas reliable contact. It is worthy to note that people are
unreliable these days and even derive joy in telling lies.

On this ground I request your unreserved but sincere cooperation devoid of
greed in carrying out this transaction so that no one amongst both of us
shall defraud each other at the end. I am prepared to split at 60%---40% for
you, provided that mine (60%) will be intact at the end. Please get back to
me via email as a matter of urgency Awaits your cooperation.

Best regards,
Manager, Foreign Operations
Gabriel Carlos.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam