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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:

• 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:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • olufemicole02@walla.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Olufemi" <olufemicole03@excite.com>
Reply-To: olufemicole@verizonmail.com
Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:56:41 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Hello.


Dear Sir. My name is Barrister Olufemi Cole. I want to use this medium after going through your profile to seek for your assistance in a business transaction which is of mutual benefit. A foreigner named late Mr. Mike Nguyen who was an Oil Merchant/Contractor with the Shell Petroleum Development Company until his death in an ill fated plane crash UTA Flight 141 on Thursday 25th December, 2003 in Cotonou along the coast of West Africa, had a balance of USD$27.5million with Union Bank and the bank now expects any of his available next of kin to claim. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3348109.stm To this regard, I am contacting you being the lawyer to the deceased as I have been directed by the Board of Trustees of the deceased bank to look for the deceased next of kin, which I have done and found out that he has no next of kin which means that these funds will be lost to the government. In order to avert this development, I seek your indulgence to have you stand as the
deceased next of kin so that the funds will be subsequently transferred and paid into your foreign account. On indicating your interest, all documents and proofs to enable you get this funds will be carefully worked out and we are assuring you a 100% risk free transaction. You will be allowed to retain 40% of the total amount after the transaction. If this proposal is okay by you, and you wish to take advantage of the trust bestowed on you, kindly contact me with this e-mail address(olufemicole02@walla.com) to enable me furnish you with relevant details to this transaction. Your telephone number and Fax number would be necessary for effective communication. Best regards, Olufemi Cole.(Esq.)

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam