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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
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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "money order " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a company representative scam. This type of job offer scam involves the cashing of fake checks and money orders. It could expose you to losses of tens of thousands of dollars as well as to the risk of criminal prosecution and (in some cases) imprisonment.
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • +447031835403 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: james peter <james_peterson_003@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <james_peterson002@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:39:54 -0500
Subject: Work Online Today.........ASAP



Dear Sir/Madam,Would you like to work online from home and get paid weekly?Needs a bookkeeper in the state, so I want to know if you will like to work online from home and get paid weekly without leaving or affecting your present job It's just that I presently run a textile and fabrics firm Quality Fabrics & Textiles INC We need someone to work for the company as a Representative/Book keeper in the USA and Canada. This is in view of our not having an office presently in the USA and Canada and in europe UK and we need someone to work for the company as a representative/book keeper in the states. My company produces various clothing materials, batiks, assorted fabrics and traditional costume, which we have clients we supply weekly in the states. My clients make payments for our supplies every week in form of Money Orders, which are not readily cashable outside the United States , so we need someone in the States to work as our representative and assist us in processing the payments from our clients and I will pay him weekly salary.You are not involved in any sales. Our marketers make direct contact for sales ofproducts. Once orders are received and sorted we deliver the product to a customer(usually through FEDEX).*The customer receives and checks the products. After this has been done thecustomer has to pay for the products.*About 90 percent of our customers prefer to pay through Certified Checks andMoney orders based on the amount involved. We have decided to open this new job position for solving this problem.Your tasks are;1. Receive payment from Customers2. Cash Payment at your Bank3. Deduct 10% which will be your percentage/pay onPayment processed4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the offices you will be contacted to send payment to. (Payment is to be forwarded either by Money Gram or Western Union Money Transfer).www.westernunion.comwww.moneygramm.comLocal Money transfers take barely hours, so it will give us a possibility to get customer's payment almost immediatelyALL YOU NEED TO DO IS RECEIVE THIS PAYMENTS FROM OUR CLIENTS IN THE STATES IN FORM OF MONEY ORDER AND THEN GET IT CASHED IN YOUR BANK THEN DEDUCT YOUR WEEKLY PAY 10% AND FOWARD THE BALANCE TO THE COMPANY DOWN HERE VIA MONEYGRAM OR WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.........Our payments will be issued out in your name and you get them cashed in your bank deduct your weekly salary 10% and forward the balance to the company via Money Gram or Western Union Money Transfer. Provide this information below to get started for the job offer and JAME PETERSON(C.E.O) will reply to your means of contact immediately as the staff in charge of the job offer. Thanks for your assistance and God bless. For more information visit our website www.qualityfabricsworld.comOr call +447031835403 or+447031821704 1 miles E - 394 Greenside Lane, Droylsden, Manchester,FIRST NAME AND SURNAME.CONTACT FULL ADDRESS ZIP CODE, CITY AND STATE.TELEPHONE AND CELLPHONE NUMBER.AGE.MARITAL STATUES.NATIONALITY.I AWAIT YOUR URGENT RESPONSEWarmest Regrards,James PetersonC.E.O Quality Fabrics & Textiles INC
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam