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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "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)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "observe 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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: James Oni <emmaezese11@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: jamesoni_1@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 06:50:36 -0800 (PST)
Subject: THANKS


Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Mr. James Oni, a staff of a reputable bank in West Africa. I have
an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you. On the
23rd of Feb. 2005, a contractor made a revolving deposit for 12months
valued at USD$25.5million.

Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address
but got no reply. After a month, we discovered from his contract
employers, that the depositor had died. On further investigation,
I found out that he died without making a will.

The money is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is being rolled
over with the principal sum at the end of each year. According to the
Laws, here in the West Africa, at the expiration of 5(five) years, the
money will revert to the ownership of the Government Treasury if nobody
applies to claim the fund.

Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you to stand in as the
next of kin to the depositor. We shall employ the services of an
attorney
to arrange the transfer of rights and privileges of the deceased to
you. A bank account in any part of the world that you will provide will
then facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the
beneficiary/next of kin.

If you are interested, please reply immediately via the private email
address. Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details.
I urge you to observe utmost confidentiality with regard to this
matter.

Finally I shall require your assistance to invest my share upon
completion of this transaction.

Best regards,

Mr. James Oni.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam