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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "keep this confidential" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• 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.
  • johsoncole@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: ronny desmond <ronny@ronnydesmond.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 10:23:26 +0100 (CET)
Subject: dear friend


Dear Friend,

I am Johnson Cole, a credit manager in a bank here in the United
Kingdom. I am the account officer of a foreigner named FREDERICK WONG
who died in an air crash along with his wife (LILLA WONG) on the 31st
October 1999 in an Egyptian airline with other passengers on board.
Since his death, none of his next-of-kin are alive to make claims for
this money as his heir, because they all died in the same accident
himself and his wife. We cannot release the fund from his account
unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as
indicated in our banking guidelines.

You can confirm this from the website below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm

Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a
next-of-kin to the deceased, because after six years the money will be
called back to the bank treasury as unclaimed bills. So it is on this
note I decided to seek for whom his name will be used as the next of
kin/beneficiary to this funds.
The amount involved is Fifteen Million United States Dollars,
(US$15,000,000.00). All documentation regarding the transfer of this
funds have been carefully worked out to favor you if you will assisted
and I assure you that it is 100% risk free.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, please endeavor to contact me
Immediately through my personal email: johsoncole@yahoo.co.uk
Upon the successful transfer of the funds you will have to yourself
Five Million USD ($ 5 Million USD) and I will invest the rest a
business venture in your country upon your advice.

Please do keep this confidential upon your acceptance.

Best regards,
Johnson Cole

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam