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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:
  • "trunk box" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • samtolof@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: satof sam <satof@web.de>
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 13:22:57 +0100
Subject: ATTENTION.




Dear Sir,

Before I proceed I must first apologize for this unsolicited mail to you, I am aware that this is certainly not a conventional way of approach to establish a relationship of trust, but you will realize the need for my action. My name is Barrister Samuel Tolofari of the SAGARDOY LEGAL PRACTITIONERS & FINANCIAL SOLICITORS, SPAIN .

Actually; I got your contact information through the U.S.A. public records while searching for a last name similar to my Late client Eng. Johanes Mongdong an engineer who worked with the Mining and Smelting Company (Asturiana de Zinc S.A.) in Spain, for eleven years, he died along with his family during the Tsunami catastrophe, which occurred on Monday 27 December 2004.

Before his death; he deposited One Trunk Box containing the sum of US$4.6M (FOUR MILLION AND SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS) with a security vault here in Spain, but he did not disclosed the real content of the deposited consignment to the security company, for security reasons instead it was registered, declared and deposited as personal treasures.

The security company has mandated me to present any family heir/inheritor for claims, before the consignment gets confiscated or moved to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, as unclaimed consignment. So I decided to search for any of my late client's relative which has been very difficult for me, as he did not declare any other person, address, partner or relatives in the official documents issued to him by the security company, such as certificate of deposit and contractual agreement.

Against this backdrop, I am suggesting you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to late Eng. Johanes Mongdong, so that the security firm can release the box to you. With my position as his lawyer, I will now place your name as the next of kin to my late client. I will prepare every relevant document that will assist your claims and facilitate the release of the consignment.

Note that this transaction is 100% risk free hence I have worked out the modalities to conclude the transaction successfully. Once the box is released to you, we shall share in the ratio of 50% for each.

Thanks and please reply through email: samtolof@aim.com [javascript:parent.ComposeTo('samtolof@aim.com', '');] for further clarification and whereby you are not interested to enable me further my search for interesting foreigner.

Sincere regards,

Barrister Samuel Tolofari (ESQ)



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam