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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• 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:
  • "million us 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)
  • "hundred thousand u.s 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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • babawilliams@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: baba@babawilliams62.orangehome.co.uk
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:59:28 +0100 (CET)
Subject: Compliment of the season



Treat privately as company owner

No upfront payment

Compliment of the season

I am writing to solicit for your co-operation in a multi million dollars international contract supply for the government of South Africa . i am a south African based in Europe but with strong contacts and links to the Government of south Africa . But we were opportune to bid for a contract with the name of a foreign company which was won and approved, but due to my status and the limited nature of my company in fulfilling the contract supplies, I am contacting you to stand in as my foreign sub-contractor / partner to actualise the contract for an initial mobilisation fee of 10% entitlement would be released to you or your company to take up the contract supply.

One of the criteria for awarding the contract to us was on the agreement that the contract will be over-invoiced to the tune of US$500,000(five hundred thousand U.S dollars), and this will be made available to the Government officials who facilitated the award of this contract to us, however i have found a financier who has agreed to make the amount available.

With the payment of the whole or part of the over-invoiced amount to these Government officials, they will approve the initial mobilisation fee to us amounting to the sum of US$5,000,000.00 (Five million us dollars only)

We are however instinctively trusting on your unalloyed support and commitment to work with us on this project, also i am relying on your goodwill and trustworthiness. You can be rest assured that we will not solicit nor ask you for any form of upfront payment or any financial commitment on this project, rather we shall ensure that our financier makes available to you the part or the full initial payment of US$500,000.00 Five hundred thousand U.S dollars only),that will facilitate the release of the initial payment of the mobilisation fee of US$5million to us.

You should treat this matter as confidential as possible and reach me strictly on this E-mail: babawilliams@excite.com upon receipt of this letter.

Yours Faithfully,

Mr. Baba Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam