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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:

• 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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • mc_marksmith@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: mcsmith2@zipmail.com.br
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:32:20 -0800
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?My=20Dear=20Friend=2C?=

Mr. Mark Smith.
99, Queen's Road Central,
E13 5TY, East London,
United Kingdom.

My Dear Friend,

I am Mr. Mark Smith of Halifax Investment Bank, London. On July 6, 2004,
our client Mr. Frederick M. Wong of 112 Kent Street, Redwood City, California,
a businessman and Industrialist, made a numbered fixed deposit for 6 (six)
calendar months, with a value of US$45 Million only with this bank. Upon
maturity six Months later, several notices where sent to him and no response
came from him. A final Maturity Notice on his investment was sent early
February and still no response came from him.
The Bank officially sent a two-man delegate to his residence and his official
address as stated in his confidential file with the bank, only to find out
that the business mogul and his wife perished in the ill fated Egyptian
Flight 990 alongside his wife Lilla C. Wong . A confirmation of the death
of Frederick M. Wong and his wife can be seen via the link below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm

After further investigations, it was also discovered that Mr. Frederick
M. Wong did not declare any next of kin or trustee to the funds on behalf
of the family of the deceased in his official papers apart from his wife
who also died in the disaster, including the paper work of his bank deposit.
And he also confided in me the last time he visited my office that no one
apart from his wife and me knew of this deposit in my bank. So, Forty Five
million United State Dollars is still lying in my bank and no one will ever
come forward to claim it, that I know for sure.

According to the laws of the United Kingdom, at the expiration of a couple
of years, without any transaction on the account, the funds will revert
to the ownership of Government if nobody applies for claim of the funds.
I will like you as a foreigner to stand as the Trustee to the said funds
and not the next of kin as this would raise so much eyebrow and suspicion
as you are in no way related to the deceased, Mr. Frederick M. Wong to enable
you receive the funds. Let¢s put heads together to see how we can transfer
these funds out of this country and use it judiciously.
I have contacted an Attorney that will prepare the necessary documents that
will back you up as the trustee to the said funds deposited by Mr. Frederick
M. Wong. All that is required from you at this stage is for you to provide
me with your full names and Address including your direct phone and fax
numbers and your business or company name and contact details if you have
any for the lawyer I have gotten to commence work immediately.
My Attorney will also file in for claims on your behalf and secure the necessary
approvals and get most importantly, a letter which will be presented to
my bank as written by Late Frederick M. Wong after making the deposits appointing
you as his only trustee to the funds aside his wife known to the bank as
his next of kin. This will all be in your favour for the funds to be moved
to an account that will be provided by you. We are going to adopt a legalized
method and the Attorney will prepare all the necessary documents and no
risk will be involved.

I am offering you 25% of the total sum for your assistance and partnership
in this deal. Note, this is negotiable by you, so if this is not ok with
you, let me know what sharing ratio you would want, if it is ok with me,
we can go ahead.
Contact me immediately with your full names, address, occupation, personal
and direct fax and telephone number if you are interested to do this business
with me and more details will be provided to you about the Project.
please kindly response via mail


(mc_marksmith@yahoo.com)

Best Regards,
Mark Smith.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam