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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "the consignment" (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)
  • "hundred thousand united state 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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +447045769254 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. David Penny" <eng.aabdul@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: davidpennyy@sify.com
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 02:32:38 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Reply


Dear respected one,

How are you and your family today? Well my name is Mr. David Penny chairman of contract award and monitoring committee of the ministry of industry and international trade development, our duty as empowered by the Mauritius government is to provide the basic amenities, social recreational activities in urban and rural areas.

This program includes assisting local communities and to co-ordinate projects and development at the national level, furthermore, from this projects we have been able to secured some reasonable amount in dollars as commission from various contractors resulting from over invoice, Hence all the necessary approvals has been completed.

This approved fund was packaged and dispatched through a security company for onward delivery to its Destination in Europe. The consignment was first deposited into a security vault here before we arrange for its movement to Europe through diplomatic channel using decoy purporting that the consignment belongs to an expatriate/company. As we are government officials, we are not allowed to operate foreign bank account, hence we need you to stand as the beneficiary and claim the consignment that is containing these funds on our behalf from the security company. You should bear in mind that the security company is not aware of the content because such was not expected. But the consignment was deposited and registered as important document and English gold but valued at twenty one million eight hundred thousand united state dollars.

And we have agreed that the sharing modalities will be discussed once you have taken the full control of the consignment. I look forward to hear from you soon for further arrangement and advice.

Best regards,
David Penny.
Tel: +44 704 5769254


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam