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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:
  • "into 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)
  • "cotonou" (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.
  • +22997085768 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: akumegeorge@elvigiaensenada.com
Reply-To: akumegeorge@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:39:15 +0100
Subject: RE Await Your Response

Auditing and Accounting Unit
Foreign Operations Department
Credit Bank Benin,Cotonou Branch
Republic of Benin.
Direct Tel:+229 97085768

Greetings!

After much consideration on this matter,I have decided to
contact you, believing that you will protect this
transaction and give it the attention it deserves. I am
pleased to be in contact with you. My name is Mr.Akume
George, an accountant & the auditor general of the Credit
Bank Benin here in the Republic of Benin.

I wish to know if we can work together.I would like you to
stand as the next of kin to my deceased client who made a
fixed deposit of USD10.2M Dollars to our bank.

He died without any registered next of kin designate and as
such his funds now have an open beneficiary mandate and I
seek your good partnership & co-operation to do this.I will
guide you on every information that may be required of you
from our bank for us to claim this fund for our mutual
disbursement.

For your information,this money will be paid into your bank
account for us to share in the ratio of 45% for me and 45%
for you while 5% will be set aside for any defray expenses
that may arise in the process of transfering this fund into
your nominated bank account you wish to receive it and 5% to
the motherless and the needy in your country.

For further details of the Plane Crash,Please Visit
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html

If you are interested,Please do let me know by forwarding to
me your direct contact telephone and fax number for easier
communication,oral discussion and more clarification.

Please do contact me as soon as possible so that I can give
you comprehensive details on what we are to do.

I urgently hope to get your positive response as soon as
possible.

Best of my regards
Mr.Akume George

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam