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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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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "huge amount 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)
  • "my direct line" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +447031929771 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • richardbecks11@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: richard becks <richard_becks005@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <richardbecks73@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:23:19 +0100
Subject: ATTN;ORDERING BENEFICIARY,



ATTN;ORDERING BENEFICIARY,

THIS IS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEYWAS DEPOSITED IN OUR BANK,THE BANK OF CHINAPLC.,LONDON IN YOUR FAVOUR BY THE NIGERIANGOVERNMENT.THIS MONEY WAS RECENTLY TRANSFERED TO ADIFFERENT ACCOUNT WITH A CHANGE IN BENEFICIARY ASAUTHORISED BY THE OFFICIALS OF THE CENTRAL BANK OFNIGERIA.
HOWEVER,AN ACCRUED INTEREST OF US$4,650,000 ON YOURPRINCIPAL SUM WAS LEFT BEHIND IN OUR CALL ACCOUNT.BUTJUST YESTERDAY, ONE MR.JOHN BUBA REQUESTED FOR THERELEASE OF THE ACCRUED INTEREST INTO ANOTHER ACCOUNTIN TAIWAN AND THIS AROUSED MY CURUOSITY WHICH MADE METO DIG DEEP INTO OUR FILE.THAT WAS HOW I FOUND YOURNAME AS THE ORIGINAL BENEFICIARY AND I WANT TO ASSISTYOU IN RECEIVING THIS MONEY WHILE FRUSTRATING THEEFFORTS OF JOHN BUBA AND CO.LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE STILL INTERESTED IN RECEIVINGTHIS LONG ACCRUED INTEREST OF US$4,650,000.REPLY TOPRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS;(richardbecks11@yahoo.co.uk )OR CALL MY DIRECT LINE;+44-7031929771. FINALLY,MAY IHAVE YOUR DIRECT PHONE AND FAX NUMBERS FOR MOREDIRECTIVES.

THANKS.MR.RICHARD BECKS.DIRECTOR,FOREIGN OPERATIONS,BANK OF CHINA PLC.,LONDON.
ACCRUED INTEREST NOTIFICATION.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam