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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "abidjan" (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.
  • gracekoffi11@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: koffi grace <gracekoffi1@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <gracekoffi11@yahoo.fr>
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 17:41:33 +0000
Subject: Letter From Mrs Grace Koffi??



Letter From Mrs Grace Koffi??

FROM THE DESK OF BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER, FOREIGN REMMITTANCE DEPT. BANQUE INTERNATIONALE DU ABIDJAN ABIDJAN, COTE D,IVOIRE.

Hello friend,

With due respect, I write to you this proposal.I am the manager of bill and exchange Audicting department at the foreign remittance department of Banque Internationale du Abidjan . I am writing following the impressive information i got about you through my search for a legitimate foriegner i will do this transaction with. which assured me of your capability and reliability to champion this businees opportunity.

In my department, I discovered an abandoned sum of U.S$25.5m USdollars (Twenty FIVE Million, Five Hundred thousand US dollars) . In an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer who died along with his entire family in November 2001 in a plane crash.

Since I got information about his death, The Bank have been expecting his next of kin to come forward and claim his money because The Bank cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines and policies but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claims.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this businness proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming forth and I dont want this money to go into the Bank treasury as unclaimed Bill.

According to our Banking policies and guideline here which stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after Eight years, the money will automatically be transfered into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund.

The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned bythe fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Burkinabe cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.
I agree that 40 % of this money will be for you as foreign partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign account, 10 % will be for reimbursement of any expenses incured during the curse of the transaction and 50% would be for me.

There after I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated.

Therefore to enable the immediate trnansfer of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for easier and effective communication and location where the money will be remitted .

Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of the application. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch free and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer .

You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter To my private email contact at/ gracekoffi11@yahoo.fr

Trusting to hear from you immediately.

Yours faithfully,
Mrs Grace Koffi. AUDICTING DEPARTMENT. BANQUE INTERNATIONALE DU ABIDJAN.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam