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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.

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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "nigeria national petroleum corporation" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +2347030306300
• 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.
  • kowill55@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: <omowapa@welcome2yemiwrld.com>
Reply-To: kowill55@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:47:20 -0500
Subject: Acknowledge the content of this e mail!



From Dr Agbola Abiola,
EVP & Head. Operations.
DL-TELEPHONE: + 234 7030 306300
DL-EMAIL: kowill55@yahoo.com
(A Banker of Habib Bank Nigeria.)
Dear Sir/Madam,

ATTN:
Dear Sir/M,
I am Mr.Agbola Abiola. a banker with the Habib Allied Bank
(FCT). I have the courage to Crave indulgence for
this important business believing that you will never let me down
either now or in the future. Some years ago, an American Mining
consultant/ contractor with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation,
made a numbered time (fixed)deposit for twelve calendar
months, valued $22M.USD (TWENTY TWO MILLION US DOLLARS) in an account.
On maturity,The  bank sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, The bank sent another reminder and finally his
contract employers, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation wrote
to inform the bank that he died without MAKING A WILL, and all attempts
by the American Embassy to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I
therefore, made further investigation and discovered that the
beneficiary was an immigrant from Jamaica and only recently obtained
American citizenship. He did not decla re any kin or relations in all
his official documents, including his Bank deposit paper work. This  money total
amount$22M.USD ( TWENTY TWO MILLION US DOLLARS)is still sitting
in my bank as dormant Account. No one will ever come forward to claim
it, and according to Nigerian Banking policy, after some years, the
money will revert to the ownership of the igerian Government if the
account owner is certified dead. This is the situation, and my proposal
is that I am looking for a foreigner who will stand in as the next of
kin to beneficiary, and OPEN a Bank Account abroad to
facilitate the  transfer of this money. This is simple, all you have to do is to
OPEN  an account anywhere in the world and send me its detail for me to
arrange the proper money transfer paperwork, and facilitate the
transfer.The money will then be paid into this Account for us to share
in the ratio of 80% for me, 15% for you and 5% for expenses that might
come up during transfer process. There is no risk at all, and all the
paper work for this transaction will be done by me using my position
and connections in the banks in Nigeria. This business transaction is
guaranteed.If you areinterested, please reply immediately through my personal email sending the following details:
 (1) Your Full Name/Address
(2) Your Private Telephone/faxNumber.
Please observe the utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that this
transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your
assistance to invest some of my share in your country. I look forward to your
earliest reply.
  Yours,
Mr Agbola Abiola

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam