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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:
  • "million us 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)
  • "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)
  • "this business is hitch free " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
  • info_private2007@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "David Kwame" <infodaviidkwm@aol.co.uk>
Reply-To: info_private2007@yahoo.fr
Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2007 15:30:35 +0100
Subject: Confidential

ECOWAS BANK PLC BRANCH.
ACCRA GHANA. ADDRESS:
Re-insurance House, 69 Kwame Nkrumah Avenue.

Greetings

My name is Mr. David Kwame the Branch Manager, Credit and Foreign Bills of ECOWAS BANK PLC ACCRA GHANA .Am writing in respect of a foreign customer of my bank with account number D14-A55-096/ECO/AD who perished in a plane crash [Ethiopian airline 961]with the whole passengers aboard. Since the demise of this our customer.

I have personally watched with keen interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as no one has come to claim his funds of 28.5 Million US Dollars ,Twenty-eight million five hundred thousand united states dollars] which has been with my branch for a very long time.
On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the Next of kin as no one has come up to be the next of kin.

And the banking ethics here does not allow such money to stay more than Eleven years, because money will be re called to the bank treasury as unclaimed after this period. In view of this I got your contact through a search on the Internet .

I shall give you 30% of the total sum. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch free and that you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for fund transfer can be finalized within five banking days, after you apply to the bank as a relation to the deceased. When you receive this letter. Kindly send me e-mail to private email: info_private2007@yahoo.fr signifying your decision including your private telephone/ fax numbers for quick communication.
Respectfully submitted,
David Kwame.
Manager, Credit and Foreign Bills

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam