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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:

• 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 - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "the consignment " (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 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)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: privateinfo_01@yahoo.fr
Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 04:21:00 -0700
Subject: Investment Partnership



Investment Partnership
>From Mrs Evelyn Ogoma
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
 
My Dear beloved Friend for give us if we hot you through this letter
is due to our condition here now please come for my urgent help. My
Dear beloved Friend It is my pleasure to contact you for a business
venture which I and my Son, intend to establish in your country.
Though I have not met with you before but I believe, one has to risk
confiding in someone to succeed sometimes in life.
There is this amount of Nine Million Five hundred thousand US Dollars
($9.500.000.00)which my late Husband Mr Williams Ogoma Solomon
deposited with a security company in Abidjan Capital city of Ivory
Coast which he wanted to used for his political reason in our Country
before he was assassinated.
My Dear ONE Now I and my son havedecided to invest this money in your
country or anywhere safe enough outside Africa for security and
political reasons. We want you to help us claim and receive the
consignment which will be sent to you through diplomatic means to your
address to avoid any traces of the funds and to enable you plan for
the investment in your Country.
My Dear Respectfully Friend I will like to invest part of the money
into these three investments in your Country but, if there is any
other business that is better than what I am suggestion, (1)Real
Estate, (2)The transport Industry and (3) Five Star Hotel, I will be
very glad to follow your advice.
My Dear Friend If you can be of assistance to us we will be pleased to
offer to you 20% of the total fund while you will help us invest the
balance.
I await your soonest response.
Yours,Respectfully
Mrs Evelyn Ogoma

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam