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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:

• 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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  • gmark001@yahoo.it (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: gmark202@zipmail.com.br
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 10:42:39 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?REPLY=20AND=20PLEASE=20CALL=20ME=2E00229=2D93819374=2E?=

From Mr Godwin Mark.
Cotonou Benin Republic.
28th,December 2006.
TEL:00229-93819374.

My Dear Friend,

This letter must come to you as a big surprise, but I believe it is only
a day that people meet and become great friends and business partners. My
name is Mr Godwin Mark , the present branch Manager of a bank here in Benin
Republic West Africa.I write you this proposal in good faith, believing
that I can trust you with the information I am about to reveal to you. Like
I said, I have a transaction that will benefit both of us, as your assistance
is required as a foreigner.


I use to head the Accounts department in my bank head office, but last December
I was asked to take position of a Manager of our branch in Cotonou who passed
on, so that was how I became the present Manager and discovered a fortune.As
I resumed duty, I discovered an account with total sum of $25.5 million
that has not been operated on for the past 4 years. From my investigation,I
found out that this account belongs to one Late Mr.Ziya Bazhayev a Russian
big time Oil dealer, who unfortunately lost his life in the Yak-40 jetliner
on March 9, 2000.


I have kept a close monitoring of the account since then and nobody has
come forward to claim the money as next of kin to the late Mr.Ziya Bazhayev
meaning that no one is aware of the account. I cannot directly take out
this money without the help of a foreigner and that is why I am contacting
you for an assistance to claim the funds and share it with me.As the Manager
of my bank branch, I have the power to influence the release of the funds
to any foreigner that comes up as the next of kin to the account, with the
correct information concerning the account, which I shall give you.


I am seeking your co-operation to present you as the next of kin to the
account. There is practically no risk involved, the transaction will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach
of law.If you accept to work with me, I want you to state how you wish
us to share the funds in percentage, so that both parties will be satisfied.Please
reply me through my private e mail address(gmark001@yahoo.it)


Thanking you in advance and may God bless you. Please, treat with utmost
confidentiality. I wait your urgent response.


Regards,
Mr.Godwin Mark.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam