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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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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:
  • "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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348053209850 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • dr_williams_agwu@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "williams agwu" <williams_g1111@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:17:44 +0100
Subject: REQUEST FOR AN URGENT CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

FROM :THE DESK OF WILLIAMS AGWU
CONTRACT AWARD CHAIRMAN
NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC)
VICTORIAL ISLAND LAGOS - NIGERIA.
TEL: +234-805 3209850.
EMAIL:dr_williams_agwu@yahoo.com

VICTIMNAME VICTIMNAME,

REQUEST FOR AN URGENT CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP IN RESPECT OF THE
TRANSFER OF US$20.500,00 (TWENTY MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S DOLLARS
ONLY).

I fervently pray that this letter soliciting for your kind assistance will
not cause any embarrassment to you. I am aware that we have never seen each
other before, neither have we exchanged any form of formal contact or
correspondence. I am also, equally aware that this world is full of
dishonest people but I sincerely hope that my humble letter will touch your
kind heart to assist and give me the opportunity of being future
inseparable.

I, on behalf of my colleague in the office (NNPC) have decided to solicit
your assistante as regards the transfer of the above stated amount into your
bank account. This fund arose from the over-invoicing of various contracts
awarded in my ministry to certain foreign contractors sometime ago. We as
the holders in our office, where also mandated by this civilian government
to scrutinize all payments made to certain foreign contractors, and we
discovered that the sum of $20.500,00. (twenty million five houndred
thousand US Dollars only) was lying in a suspense account,although the
foreign contractors were fully paid their entitlements after executing the
said contracts.

We all agreed that this over-invoiced amount will be transferred out side
the country(for our own use) into a bank account provided by a foreign
partner, as a code of conduct of the Federal civil service does not allow us
to operate with any foreign account. We are therefore seeking for your
assistance based on the agreement been made within our self's. the documents
of this transaction will be speedily processed for immediate remittance of
this over-invoice fund into your bank account before the next presidential
election coming up soon.

On successful remittance of the fund into your account, you will be
compensated with 30% of the total amount for assistance and 5% is already
set aside for expenses on the process of this transaction while 65% is for
me and my colleague.

I assure you that this transaction is 100% risk free. We will avail you with
our identities as regards our respective offices when relationship is fully
established and smooth operation commences. I am at your disposition to
entertain any question(s) from you in respect of this transaction, So,
contact me immediately through my private E-mail:dr_williams_agwu@yahoo.com
or telephone numbers above for further information on the requirements and
procedure.

Please, note that this DEAL needs utmost confidentiality.

Yours faithfully,

WILLIAMS AGWU.
Contract Award Chairman (NNPC)
REPLY TO:dr_williams_agwu@yahoo.com

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam