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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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  (+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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "huge sum of money" (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)
  • "million 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)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348030433479 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • dr_martinsgreat3@yahoo.ca (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr.Martin Great" <Dr_martinsgreat3@yahoo.ca>
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:02:54 +0200
Subject: REPLY QUICKLY


From the desk of:
Dr. Martins Great
Executive Director,
Central Bank (CBN)
2A, Queens Park View
Road, Ikoyi. Lagos
Tel : 234-803-0433-479

Good day,

Compliment of the season and I hope you had a wonderful Festive Period. I have picked-up the trust and courage to write you this letter with divine confidence that we can both execute this transaction in absolute trust and confidentiality. I am Dr.

Martins Great, The AEO of Central Bank and I write with great pleasure on behalf of the son of the Late Mrs Stella Obasanjo ( First Lady Of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) who lost her life in a plastic surgery at the exclusive Molding Clinic in Marbella, Spain. You shall read more about her death on checking the site below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4368806.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4374532.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4385046.stm

Mrs. Stella Obasanjo banked with us and has a proceed valued at Eighteen Million Dollars (USD$18,000,000.00) with our bank before her death and untill this moment the funds is still lying in our bank. After we received the information about her death, we immediately sent for the Next of kin whom happend to be her only son with name Mr.Olumuyiwa Obasanjo and after due deliberation, he suggested that I should source for him a reliable and trustworthy person who can help receive the funds abroad on his behalf for the fact that his father former head of state president (Olusegun Obasanjo) may seize the fund if he happens to know about it.

You are also aware that this is a very huge sum of money and should be professionaly handled so as to avoid attention of the goverment as the necessary informations evidencing this claim is best known to both of us alone. It might as well interest you to know that the protocol division here stipulates that a President child is forbidden to own or operate a foreign account so as to avoid money laundering and this is the reason why i am seeking for your cooperation and assistance prior to receiving the funds with your Bank account as designated.

Also note that i am the person acting as his front person in this business, so you will be transacting with me and me alone until the funds has been wired into your Bank account and you confirm the receipt of the fund in your bank account. As you may rightly want to know, I got your address and good credentials from our local chamber of commerce and industry so I beleive I have clearify that to you.

Concerning disbursement, we have agreed that 30% of this funds will be for you as the foreign partner, 60% will be for us while the remaining 10% will be map out for all the necessary expences that will incure throughout the duration of this transaction.

Hence, all we require from you is your Honest co-operation and faithfulness so as to enable us work with the spirit of oneness. After the funds has been transfered into your Bank account, I and the son of the Late first lady will have to come over to your country for our own share of the fund or rather a bank-to-bank transaction shall be used to remit our own share of the money into our designated Bank Account.

I want you to understand that this business is no money laundering of some sort and it might interest you that it is 100% genuine and hitch free from all facet as I will not involve myself in any business that is infested with illegalities which will not have a proper cover-up when the need arises.

I guaranteed you that this Business will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law, again, i want you to be furtherly informed that everyone interest and security had been considered before you were contacted, so be rest assured and feel free to go into this transaction with us, but please In the event of your inability to handle this transaction, kindly inform us ASAP so that we can look for another reliable and trust worthy person who can assist in this Respect.

You are expected to reply this message through my office e-mail address below.
(Dr_martinsgreat3@yahoo.ca)

Awaiting your urgent response or you call me.

Regards,
DR. Martins Great.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam