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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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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)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Rufus Isigie <isigie@z6.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:32:20 +0100
Subject: Business Proposal


Dear Sir/Madam,

The purpose of writing you this letter is to ask for your assistance.My name =
is Rufus Isigie, the private secretary to the former governer of Edo state in =
Nigeria CHIEF LUCKY IGBINEDION. He ruled the state for two terms before he =
flee the country at the end of his second terms. I am contacting you because =
of the huge amount of money he accumulated for himself during his term in =
office. He has the money deposited in a private security company in Europe. =
The amount in question is $25 million US dollars in total. As his assistance =
private secretary, he told me everything, infant I help him with the =
paperwork to smuggled this huge some of money out of the country to Europe. =
He has just contacted me to look for a reliable foreigner with a safe bank =
account of company to transfer the said amount without (him, =
''the(Ex-governor involved)'') .

Sir/Madam, you will be highly rewarded if you allow this sum of $25 million =
US dollars to be transfer to your Bank account or your company's name. Please =
keep this issue confidential and urgent to show my preparedness and =
appreciation to carry out this business with you, $3 million US dollars of =
the total sum will be your share, while 2% will be use for other expenses =
that may arise. Please friendly reach me through my e-mail address above if =
you are willing to assist me. Every documents regarding the deposition of =
the funds are in my possession. It was handed over to me by the ex-governor =
with trust.
I will wait to hear from you soon.

Thank you
Rufus Isigie

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam