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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • williams_agabi222@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "williams agabi" <williamsagabi31@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: williams_agabi222@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 16:58:08 +0000
Subject: Dear Friend (Mail From Mr. Williams Agabi)!

Dear Friend,

I am Mr. Williams Agabi, bank Manager, Orient Bank Plc, Lagos State branch,
Nigeria.

I have urgent and very confidential business proposition for you. On
February 6th 2001, An American oil consultant/contractor with the Nigeria
National Petroleum corporation (N.N.P.C) an indigenous company here in
Nigeria Mr. Faro Ayman made a numbered time (Fixed Deposit for twelve
Calendar Months) valued at Nine Million Three Hundred Thousand US dollars
(USD9,300,000) in my branch. Upon maturity we sent a routine notification to
his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month we sent a reminder
and finally we discovered that Mr. Faro Ayman died from a plane crash while
on a trip with his family.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968300.stm
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/africa/05/05/nigeria.crash/

On further investigations, I found out that Mr. Faro Ayman did not leave a
WILL and all attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless. I therefore
made further investigations and discovered that Mr. Faro Ayman did not
declare any next of kin in all his official documents including his bank
deposit paper works. This sum of USD5,300,000 is still sitting in the bank
and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of
each year. No one will come forward to claim it. According to the Nigerian
Law, at the expiration of SEVEN (7) years the money will revert to the
ownership of the Nigerian Government if no one applies to claim the funds.

Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in
as the next of kin to Mr. Faro Ayman so that the fruit of this old man's
labor will not get into the hands of some corrupt officials only for them to
steal the money for their selfish desires. This is simple because you are a
foreigner and my position as the Branch Credit Manager of my bank guarantees
the successful execution of this transaction because no one will know that
you are getting this privileged information from an insider which is me.

My capacity will be to provide all necessary documents to back our proof for
the claims. By deal the funds will be swift into your nominated bank account
thereafter I will join you in your base (your Country) to secure my share of
the money.

NB: Your percentage shear for your agreement and assistance to this
transaction is 30 percent of the total sum. I will await your earliest
response to williams_agabi222@yahoo.co.uk Keep my confidence and disregard
this letter if you do not appreciate this proposition I have offered you.
Thank you very much for your time.

I wait anxiously for your urgent response and phone number so that I can
call you for proper discussions to your understanding.

From the desk of Mr. Williams Agabi
Bbank Manager, Orient Bank Plc.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam