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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • ",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)
  • "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +2348086672905 (Nigeria, 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.
  • james1100koko@shuf.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: james kobo <j_kobo4@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 12:12:25 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: *****SPAM***** ARE YOU INTERESTED


Spam detection software, running on the system "spam1.pem.inap.sea.dotster.net", has
identified this incoming email as possible spam. The original message
has been attached to this so you can view it (if it isn't spam) or label
similar future email. If you have any questions, see
the administrator of that system for details.

Content preview: Dear sir, I have the honour and confidence to introduce to
you this business. Iam Mr.james kobo the Adictor In United Bank for Africa[UBA].
there is an account opened in this bank in 1980 and sincs 1990 nobody has
opreated on this account again. After my intensive investigation i discoveed
that the owner of this account was president of Gun finance PTY LTD,Aforeigner
and he died in 1990 and since then the account has no beneficiary. My investigation
proved to me as well that the company does not know anything about the account.
the account involes sixty-five million United State of American Dollar $
65,000,000,00. In the light of above fact ,indeed your assistance is to open
door to this opportunity by providing an account of your choice where the
fund will be remitted. your assistance as a foreigner is necessary because
the management is ready to welcome any person a foreigner who has corrects
information of this account, which i will give to you immediately if you
are interested to conclude this transaction with me .I will apply for annual
leave immediately i hear from you that you are ready to act and receive this
fund in your account. THIS is to enable me use my position and influrnce
in effect of the onward transfer of this money to your desire account. At
the conclusion of this business you will take 30% of the total amount,70%will
be for me. I look forward to your earliest reply Contact me at james1100koko@shuf.com
Phone +234 8086672905 Yours Truly Mr.james kobo [...]

Content analysis details: (10.3 points, 7.0 required)

pts rule name description
---- ---------------------- --------------------------------------------------
0.1 RDNS_NONE Delivered to trusted network by a host with no rDNS
1.8 SUBJ_ALL_CAPS Subject is all capitals
2.2 DEAR_SOMETHING BODY: Contains 'Dear (something)'
1.2 US_DOLLARS_3 BODY: Mentions millions of $ ($NN,NNN,NNN.NN)
0.0 HTML_MESSAGE BODY: HTML included in message
2.0 ADVANCE_FEE_2 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
1.4 ADVANCE_FEE_3 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
1.5 ADVANCE_FEE_4 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)

The original message was not completely plain text, and may be unsafe to
open with some email clients; in particular, it may contain a virus,
or confirm that your address can receive spam. If you wish to view
it, it may be safer to save it to a file and open it with an editor.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam