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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "abuja" (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.
  • jack_williams8000@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Jack Williams <jack_williams8@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <jack_williams8000@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:37:18 -0400
Subject: ATTENTION.



Dear Sir. I know this letter will come to you as a surprise since THIS IS not what you have been talking with rev. carolyn thomas, but for purpose of introduction, I am Mr. Jack Williams, operational manger in account management section in charge of credit and foreign bills of one of the Ecowas bank here in Abuja Nigera. There is a United States Dollar (US$) domiciliary account opened in our bank by Mr. Roger Smith in 1993 and since 1999 November, no transaction has passed through the account thereby rendering it dormant. On my further inquiry, I discovered that the owner of the account, Mr.Roger Smith, a foreigner and consultant at Nigerian National Petrolume corp, died in 2001 USA World Trade Center Bomb attark in spetember 11. Nobody knows about this account and there is no named beneficiary or next of kin to inherit the money. The balance in the account is {US$1 9,500.000,00 Ninteen Million Five Hundred Thousands United States Dollars} I am contacting you as a foreigner so that you present yourself as the 'next of kin' of the deceased, or appointed Administrator of the deceased estate and forward application to the Bank for the money to be released and transferred to your foreign account. I have decided to contact you because with my position in the bank, I cannot prosecute the transaction personally without the assistance of a foreign partner, but do not worry or have any fears for I will be available to furnish you with necessary information that the Bank may request in order to approve your application and transfer the account balance of Mr.Roger Smith to your foreign account. Please respond or call me if it meets your kind gesture to accept the offer so that I will inform you the step-by-step procedures you should follow in order to get the money released and transferred to your foreign account. Again, please note that we shall enter into a written and enforceable Agreement to protect the identities and interests of the parties involved in the transaction. At the conclusion, of the transfer 70% of the fund will be for me, you will be entitled to get 20% of the total total amount for your assistance, while 5% for charity both in Africa and in your country while the remaining 5% will be set aside to settle any expenses might incurs during the transfer process. I look to your earliest reply. I will also apply for my annual leave in order to meet you as soon as the Bank has concluded all formalities to transfer the money to your foreign account. I would appreciate honesty and truthfulness in this business because I do not want to have regrets after the money is transferred to your account. Upon the receipt of your reply, I will send to you detailed information about the transaction. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is 100% risk free from both sides that you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for the transfer can be finalized within 7 to 9 banking days, after you apply to the bank as the beneficiary of the fund from our late client. You should also include your private fax and phone numbers for easy communication. I look forward to your earliest response through my private address E-mail:jack_williams8000@yahoo.co.uk or call 2348055277484 me with this number for more clarifications. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Respectfully yours MR. JACK WILLIAMS
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam