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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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)
  • "million us 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)
  • ",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)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +22997647883 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • drhitohsman0077@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: drhitohs14@zipmail.com.br
Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2008 12:49:48 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?VERY=20URGENT?=

FROM DIRECTOR INCHARGE OF
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT,
CONTINENTAL BANK,
COTONOU-BENIN REPUBLIC
E-mail contact: drhitohsman0077@yahoo.fr
05/01/2008.

Dear Friend,

Is my Pleasure writing to you at this moment of the day, I am Dr.Hitohs
Man. the director incharge of auditing and accounting Unit of Continental
Bank in Cotonou-Benin Republic. I and my colleagues deem it fit to contact
you regarding to a transaction that will favour both of us at the end, and
i got your contact in my search for a reputable and reliable person to help
me claim the fund in question.

We discovered the sum of 10,000,000.00 (Ten Million US Dollars Sterling)
belonging to a deceased customer of this bank. The fund has been lying in
a suspence account without anybody coming to put claim over the money since
the account owner late Deceased Customer, who was involved in the December
25th Benin plane crash. Here is the air crash website=

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html

The said fund is now ready for transfer to a foriegn account whose owner
will be portrayed as the beneficiary and next of kin to the deceased customer
of the bank.
Seems you have the same surename with this deceased customer you can easily
make this deal with us,we will assist you to get the information of the
deceased customer that will assist you to get every proof document which
will help you to execute this money.

The foriegn account owner will impost himself as the next of kin to the
deceased and respond positively like a true next of kin who wishes to speed
up the release and transfer of his inherited fund. If the over due fund
if not claimed by the end of next quarter, the government of the Federal
Republic of Benin will take over the ownership of the fund in line with
the Federal Edict Act of 1979.

We do not want the government to take over the ownership of this money,
that is why I contacted you for us to do the deal together, so that we will
portray you as the bonafide next of kin to the Deceased Customer .If you
accept to carry out this project with us, we will offer you 40% of the total
sum, while I and my colleagues involved will take 60% of the total sum.Upon
your acceptance to do this deal with us, we will jointly effect the transfer
within seven working days.

Be rest assured that, this transaction carries no risk and no extra responssibilities
on your part, except the above mentioned roles and normally you will be
required to maintain absolute information and absolute secrecy throughout
the duration of this transaction, because discussing it with a third party
might jeopardise the entire transaction.

I am looking forward to receiving your interesting response on this project
as this will greatly enrich the both of us at the end. You should contact
me as soon as you receive this letter for onward procedure,through my alternative
email box (drhitohsman0077@yahoo.fr ).

Best Regard
DR.HITOHS. MAN.
Tel:+229-97647883.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam