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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • ",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)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: mrscaroline1@zipmail.com.br
Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2007 17:39:07 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Dear=20Beloved=20In=20Christ=2C?=

Dear Beloved In Christ,

It is by the grace of God that I received Christ, knowing the truth and
the truth haven set me free. Having known the truth I had no choice than
to do what is lawful and right in the sight of God for eternal life and
in the sight of man for witness of God mercy and glory upon my life. I am
Mrs. Caroline Wozimm from Ghana, I am married to Dr.Frank Wozimm who worked
with Chevron/Texaco in NIGERIA for twenty years before he died in the year
2002.We were married for twenty-seven years without a child, He died during
one of the riots in the NIGERIA .He was held hostage and slain to death
by protesting youths of the region in EDO state before his death we were
both born again Christians.

Since his death I decided not to re-marry. When my late husband was alive
he deposited the sum of 9,000,000.00($9m)with a bank in the NIGERIA and
now the management of the bank have just wrote me to come forward to receive
the money or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive
it on my behalf if I can not come over. I am presently with my laptop in
a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs,
I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I
have only a few months to live. It is my last wish to see that this money
is invested and at the end of every year distributed among charity organization.
And for your compensation, as soon as the money enters your! account take
25% of the total money as your compensation, 5% for any expenses if they
may be while 70% will be for the work of GOD.

I took this decision because i know that there are a lot of poor people
suffering from different kind of disease and nobody to come to their aid.
With God all things are possible. As soon as I receive your reply I shall
give you the contact of the bank in NIGERIA were the money is been deposit
.I will also issue you a letter of authority and certificate of claim that
will prove you as the new beneficiary of this fund.
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated here.
I await your urgent reply.

Thanks and God Bless you.

Mrs Caroline Wozimm.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam