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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:

• 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)
  • "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. )
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • frank001j@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: m_frankj@yahoo.ca
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2007 13:16:07 +0200
Subject: From: Mr Frank Johnson

From: Mr Frank Johnson
16, Pretoria Street,
Johannesburg,
South Africa.
14/12/2007
E-mail:frank001j@yahoo.com
Dear Friend,

RE:MR FRANK JOHNSON
SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TO EX- PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR OF LIBERIA

Consider this not an embarrassment; I am representing my Ex-President who asked me to negotiate on his behalf. Meanwhile you might have heard on news how President Charles Taylor account in Switzerland was freeze and that of his associates. Embattled Ex-President Charles Taylor is not finding things easy, Switzerland last week ordered the banks to freeze account belonging to Taylor and his associates. This was in obedience to request by the United Nations backed war crimes court sitting in Sierra Leone.

A statement from the Swiss Justice Ministry said it had ordered banks in Zurich and Geneva to block accounts of people named by the special court for Sierra Leone, which is said, described Taylor as one of the perpetrators of crimes against humanity and war crimes, Taylor was indicted for crime on January 20th 2005. The request to block the accounts affected Taylor, his relatives, members of his government as well a number of business people and companies.

We needed your assistance now before the world will know much about this, last month Taylor instructed me to move USD$20,000,000.00 (Twenty Million United States to a security company as a valuable item to South Africa and how to move it outside Africa for safety, on this I came across your contact.

Although we are routing this consignment to Europe based on the Ex-President Charles Taylor's instruction or any Asia country. Meanwhile Taylor has agreed to stepped down, so we are looking forward to move more fund to a trusted person who will assist us keep it in his account or care. This is confidential; If you accept to do this business write me immediately using the above email address.

You are also requested to send me your private fax/phone numbers for contact, you can as well contact me on my telephone number as above written for more information. This is how the entire fund will be shared:- 25% will be given to you for your kind assistance, 70% will be for investment in your beloved country and 5% is for any expenses that may be incurred during this transaction.
Please reply only to this e-mail: frank001j@yahoo.com only

Thanks in anticipation of your co-operation.

Looking forward to hear from you soonest.


Yours faithfully,

Mr Frank Johnson

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam