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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "to 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)
  • ",000,000" (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 email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: cliff <cliffarmstrong@3darenanet.com>
Reply-To: cliffarmstrong@webdunia.com
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:19:17 +0300
Subject: ATTN: DEAR SIR/MADAM, TREAT AS URGENT


Dear Friend,

From the over drafts records of outstanding contracts award due for payment in our bank, we discovered that the next person on the list to be paid for this contract named: Mr. Charles James had just died recently due to heart related diseases. His heart condition was due to the death of all the members of his family in the Gulf Air Flight Crashes in Persian Gulf Near Bahrain Aired August 23, 2000 - 2:50 p.m. ET as reported on: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0008/23/bn.08.html and none of his family has shown up to claim the money for this contract. Records in our Department shows that late Mr. Charles James had already finished the contract before he died and he was only awaiting his payment from us.

The said money ($30,000,000.00) had been in our custody in our Bank since the last government regime. I have the mandate of my colleagues to look for a reliable and trustworthy person (foreign partner) that we shall present as the next-of-kin to late Mr. Charles James to enable us claim the said amount $30m. I wish to inform you that the said payment will be processed and the money will be released to you as soon as you respond to this letter.

Kindly email to me the followings:

1) Your full name.
2) Phone, fax and mobile #.
3) Company name, position and address.
4) Profession, age and marital status.

As soon as this information is received, the payment will be processed and wired to your nominated bank account directly from the CBN our bank. Please e-mail me back
as soon as you received this letter for further communication.

NB. I REALLY NEED YOUR TOTAL HONESTY AND TRUST IN THIS MATTER.

Regards,
CLIFF ARMSTRONG.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam