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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:
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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:
  • "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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
  • "lagos" (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.
  • rebeccabllo@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Rebecca Bello <rebeccabellolo@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <rebeccabllo@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 01:12:49 +0100
Subject: REQUEST FOR BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP


FROM: REBECCA BELLO
UNION BANK NIGERIA PLC
36/38 MARINA LAGOS


REQUEST FOR BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP

I am Rebecca Bello, a manager with the Union Bank Nigeria Plc. In my department, we discovered an abandoned sum of US$21 million (Twenty One Million United States Dollars Only) in a domiciliary account belonging to one of our foreign customer Dr. Andreas Schranner, a German oil consultant/contractor who died in a AF4590 plane crash along with his family on Monday, 31 July, 2000,
Ever since we were informed of there demise, we have been expecting his next of kin to come forward for the claim of his money, as it cannot be released unless someone applies as next of kin as indicated in our banking guidelines.
Unfortunately we learnt that the supposed next of kin died of shock, leaving nobody behind for the claim. It is in this development that some key officials and I in my department have decided to make deal with you, so as to present you as the next of kin of the deceased for the money to be released for our mutual benefit and disbursement, since nobody has come forward for the claims, and we do not want this money to be recycled into the banks bounded account as an unclaimed fund.
The request for a foreigner in this business is as a result of the fact that the customer was a German National and a Nigerian cannot stand as his next of kin.
We agreed that 25% of the money will be your remuneration,
We have decided that this transaction should be based on the following: - Transparency, Honesty and Diligence.

Also you are to treat this Transaction with Utmost Confidentiality.

Thereafter, we would want you to advise us on the best area of investment because we are considering investing the greater proportion of our share in your country.
Therefore to facilitate the immediate transfer of this fund as it has been arranged; kindly indicate your interest by furnishing us with the following information: - Telephone and Fax Numbers for easy communication.

Reach me via E-mail address:rebeccabllo@yahoo.com.


Best regards,
Rebecca Bello
Manager
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam