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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "cotonou" (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.
  • prince_adjovi@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Prince Adjovi" <princeadjovi@marsool.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 12:09:05 +0300
Subject: HOW ARE YOU?GET BACK TO ME VERY IMPORTANT


Bank of Africa Benin.
Boulevard Jean Paul II
08 BP 0879-cotonou
Republique du Benin
.
TRANSFER OF TWENTY TWO MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS.
Dear Sir/Madam,

I want to transfer to overseas ($ 22,000,000 USD) Twenty two Million United
States Dollars) from the bank where I work in Bank of Africa here in the
Republic of Benin. I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and
honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing Bank
account or to set up a new Bank account immediately to receive this money,
even an empty account can serve, in receiving this money.
All I desire from you is complete honesty to me till the end for this
important and confidential business. I would want to embed my trust in you
and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in
future.

I am Prince Adolf Adjovi, I am in the foreign Remittance Department of Bank
of Africa, Cotonou Republic of Benin. During the course of our auditing I
discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the Bank in 1995 and
since 1998 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through
some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account
died without a [heir], hence the money is floating and if I do not remit
this money out urgently it will be forfeited to the state..

The owner of this account is Mr.Spear Buck chu,a Foreigner, and a
businessman, Chief Executive of Ste Helbuck Int'l Sarl, import and export.
He died since 1999 and no other person knows about this account or any
thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my
investigation proved to me as well that Mr Spear Buck Chu,until his death
was the Managing Director and Chief Executive of ste Helbuck Int'l sarl
that deals on import and export.

But I don't know any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a Foreigner
because this money can not be approved to a local person here, without valid
international Foreign passport, but can only be approved to any Foreigner
with valid international passport or drivers license and Foreign account
because the money is in US dollars.

The former owner of the account Mr.Spear Buck Chu is a Germany national,
since after his death, announcements have been made to recover a trace of
his family but all these has been proved abortive and the money can only
be approved into a Foreign account. However, we will sign a binding
agreement between us.

Please get back to me urgently so that I will inform you the next step to
take. Send also your private telephone number including the full details of
the account to be used for the deposit.
I want to have full confidence and trust in you because this money will go
into your account overseas, so i’ll not have the chance to travel to your
country unless when the transfer is over.

I need your full co-operation to make this work out fine. The management is
ready to approve this payment to any Foreigner who has correct information
of this account, which I will give to you, upon your positive response. I
also want you to convince me of your capability to do this business with me.
With my influence and the position in the Bank, we can transfer this money
to any Foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with assurance
that this money will be intact, pending my physical arrival in your country,
for sharing. I will destroy all documents relating to this transaction
immediately, leaving no trace to any place.

At the conclusion of this business, we will both split the money based on
our agreed terms.
Please get back to me via my personal email.
Prince_adjovi@yahoo.com

Best Regards,
Prince Adolf Adjovi

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam