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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • tonyadamsesq@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "tony adamsesq" <tony_adamsesq15@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: tonyadamsesq@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 00:08:22 +0000
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE NEEDED.

Dear Friend,

Compliments of the day to you.I must solicit your confidentiality and
assure you that I am contacting you in good faith and this proposal which i
bring to you will be of mutual benefit to both you and i. My name is Mr.Tony
Adams(ESQ) a legal practitioner here in London and I am privileged to be the
Legal Adviser/Personal Attorney to late Mr.Peter Harris,an Australian
national.

Furthermore,I wish to inform you that my late client died intestate as a
result of a ghastly auto crash in 2005 which involved his whole family,In
the process of review in my search for his relative,I got your contact
information through an international directory,hence I contacted you so that
I can give you further briefing on my intention and how to disburse the
estate left behind by my late client before his death more especially a huge
deposit of Eight Million Great British Pounds Sterling(£8,000,000)made in a
security company here in London in 2002.

I will give you further details on how we shall proceed in disbursing
this funds if you are interested.you can reach me on my private email
address tonyadamsesq@yahoo.co.uk.

I await your urgent response.

Best regards,

Tony Adams Esq.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam