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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million united states 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)
  • ",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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: Belgore James <belgorejames_esq115@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <belgorejames_001@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2007 21:29:58 -0600
Subject: I EXPECT YOUR REPLY SOON.



Barrister Belgore James {Belgore James& Associates Solicitors Advocate& Notary Public of Nigeria}No: 24 Alaba Ikoyi streetLagos-Nigeria
Dear Friend, First I must solicit your confidence in this transaction and wish to apologize to you if this mail might have wronged you in any means, and before I continue I wish to introduce my self officially, my name is Barrister Belgore James. A solicitor and the personal attorney to late Engr. Mark, a citizen of your country, who also has the same last name with you and i pressume you might be some how related to him, he was a big time contractor here with one of the oil companies here in Nigeria, Herein after referred to as my client. please see this site for more information on the death of late Engr Mark, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4368516.stm, On the 22nd October 2005. My client, and his family were involved in the Belview Plane-crash, my client and his entire family unfortunately lost their lives in the Plane-crash accident, which also claimed several lives also. Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my client's extended relatives, which has proved abortive after these several unsuccessful attempts then the need to contact you emanated. My main reason for contacting you is so that you may assist me in repatriating the money and property left behind by my client before they are confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where they are deposited. The bank where the deceased has a fixed deposit account with the total sum of $ 18,000,000 {Eighteen Million United States Dollars.} The said bank has issued me a final notice to provide the next of in to my client or they will be left with no other choice than to confiscate his funds and have them transferred into the reserved account of the federal government of Nigeria for their private use. Since then I have been unsuccessful in locating my client's relatives for the past two years now,So in this effect i seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of my client, so that the said funds as stated above i.e., the sum of Eighteen Million United States Dollars can be paid to your account as the next of kin instead of leaving it for the bank and the federal agencies. We can take part of it and leave the rest to charity organizations if you so desire. I must let you know that this transaction is 100% risk free and safe, because I have all necessary and legal documents that will be used to back-up whatever claim we are going to make, all I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this arrangement through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. I have decided to give you 40% out of the total sum while 55% will be for me and my office and 5% had been mapped out to offset whatever expenses that we mnay likely incurred at the course of this transaction. Kindly supply me with the following information: *** YOUR FULL NAME*** YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS*** YOUR DIRECT TEL/FAX NUMBER{S}*** YOUR AGE AND OCCUPATION I wait to hear from you urgently,Best regards,
Barrister Belgore JamesEquity and Trust Chambers
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam