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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge sum of money" (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 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)
  • "a reliable and reputable person to handle this" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "cotonou" (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.
  • +2348034422909 (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.
  • mathew_ubn@yahoo.dk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MATHEW OKON" <maokon@sify.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: mathew_okon@yahoo.dk
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 08:15:14 -0800
Subject: Dear Friend an opportunity for you and me

FROM: MR. MATHEW OKON
BRANCH ACCOUNTANT
UBN - NIGERIA

Dear Friend,

First, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue if its nature as being utterly CONFIDENTIAL and TOP SECRET. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. We have decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction, as we have been reliably informed of your discreteness and ability in transactions of this nature.

Let me start by first introducing myself properly to you. I am Mr. Mathew Okon a Branch Accountant with the Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. Lagos. I came to know of you in my private search for a reliable and Reputable person to handle this confidential transaction, which involves the transfer of a huge sum of money to a foreign account requiring maximum confidence.

THE PROPOSITION:

A foreigner, Late Engineer T. Brown an Oil Merchant/Contractor with the Federal Government of Nigeria, until his death on Friday the 26th of December 2003 in a ghastly plane crash in Cotonou, Benin Republic, I have being his personal Accountant Adviser and he Banked with us here at Union Bank Plc, Head Quarters in Lagos, and had a closing balance of US$13.5M (Thirteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which the Bank now unquestionably expects it to be claimed by any available foreign next-of-kin of the Late beneficiary or alternatively be donated to a discredited trust fund for arms and Ammunition at a Military war college here in Nigeria, do confirm the incident on the website:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/

Fervent valuable efforts are being made by the Union Bank to get in touch with any of the Brown’s family or relatives but proved no avail. It is because of the perceived possibility of not being able to locate any of Late Engr. T. Brown next-of-kin (he had no known wife and children) that the management under the influence of our chairman and member of the Board of Directors, retired Major General Kalu Uke Kalu, that an arrangement be made for the funds to be declared "UNCLAIMABLE" and subsequently be donated to the Trust Fund for Arms and Ammunition to further enhance the course of war in Africa and the world in general.

In order to avert this negative development, some of my trusted colleagues and I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next-of-kin to Late Engr. T. Brown so that the funds US$13.5M would be released and paid into your Bank Account as the beneficiary/next-of-kin. All documents that proves and will enable you get this fund will be carefully worked out and more so we are assuring you of a 100% risk free involvement.


Your share stays while the rest would be for my colleagues and myself for Investment purposes in your country. We have agreed that, the funds will be shared thus, after it has been transferred into your account 30% of the money will go to you for acting as the Beneficiary of the funds. 10% will be set aside for reimbursement to both parties for any incidental expenses that may be incurred in the course of the transfer, 60% to us the originators of the transaction.


If this proposal is acceptable by you and you do not wish to take undue advantage of the trust, we hope to bestow on you and your company; then kindly get back to me immediately via my private Email: mathew_ubn@yahoo.dk or Call My Tel: 234-803-442-2909 for security reason.

Furnishing me with your most confidential telephone, fax number and exclusive Bank particulars/information so that I can use this information to apply for the release and subsequent transfer of these funds in your favor.

Thanking you in advance for your anticipated co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

MR. MATHEW OKON

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam