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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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.

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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:
  • "the consignment" (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)
  • "you will take 25%" (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)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Mrs Fatima Ali <mrsftmal@yahoo.fr>
Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2008 20:34:23 +0100 (CET)
Subject: I need your urgent responce pls


Dearest Friend,

I crave your indulgence at this mail coming from somebody you have
not know before. I decided to do this after praying over the
situation. You should please consider the transaction on its
content and not the fact that you have not known me before. I need
not dwell on how I came by your contact information because there
are many such possibilities these days.

I would like to introduce myself as Mrs. Fatima Ali, of Repulic of
Benin, widow to Late Mr. Usman Ali (for Consular of the benin
embassy in Madrid,Spain).I have been recently been daigonosed of
Cancer of the Pelvics. I am writing from my sick bed.

There is this consignment (containg US$29.5Million cash, in US$100
bills) my husband deposited with a security company, here in
Cotonou, Republic of Benin of which I am the next of kin. With my
health condition and because my husband and I have no children, I
am looking for a credible person to whom I will pass the right of
next of kin. This person will apply to the company and request,
from them, the procedure towards retrieving the consignment from
them.

This is on the condition that you will take 25% of the fund for
yourself, 5% used for expenses, while you will use the remaining
70% for the less previlege people in the society. This is in
fulfilment of the last request of my husband: that a substantial
part of the fund be used to carter for the less previleged.

If this condition is acceptable to you, you should contact me
immediately with your full names and contact information so that I
will send you all the documents that the company gave to my husband
when the consignment was deposited. So that you will contact the
company directly, and demand from them the procedure towards
retrieving the consignment from their company.

I cannot predict what will be my fate by the time you will recieve
the fund, but you should please ensure that the fund is used as i
have described above.

I look forward to your response.

Yours,
Mrs. Fatima Ali.


---------------------------------
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam