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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
  (+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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
• 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.
  • +22997875510 (Benin, probably a 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.
  • mr_ade_williams24@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: dr_ade_williams@freenet.de
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:46:34 +0100
Subject: HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU


HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU
FROM DR. ADE WILLIAMS
DIRECTOR INCHARGE OF

AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT,
CONTINENTAL BANK,
COTONOU-BENIN
REPUBLIC

DEAREST ONE.

Pleasure writing to you at this moment of the
day, I am DR.ADE WILLIAMS, the director incharge of auditing and
accounting Unit of Continental Bank in Cotonou-Benin Republic. I and my
colleagues deem it fit to contact you regarding to a transaction that
will favour both of us at the end, and i got your contact in my search
for a reputable and reliable person to help me claim the fund in
question.

We discovered the sum of eight million one hundred thousand
United States Dollars (USD8.1M) belonging to a deceased customer of this
bank. The fund has been lying in a suspence account without anybody
coming to put claim over the money since the account owner late Mr.
Mohamed Mohd from libanon, who was involved in the December 25th Benin
plane crash. Here is the air crash website
http://www.iafpa.org.uk/news-template.php?t=4&id=1291
The said fund is
now ready for transfer to a foriegn account whose owner will be
portrayed as the beneficiary and next of kin to the deceased customer of
the bank.

The foriegn account owner will impost himself as the next
of kin to the deceased and respond positively like a true next of kin
who wishes to speed up the release and transfer of his inherited fund.
If the over due fund if not claimed by the end of next quarter, the
government of the Federal Republic of Benin will take over the ownership
of the fund in line with the Federal Edict Act of 1979. We do not want
the government to take over the ownership of this money, that is why I
contacted you for us to do the deal together, so that we will portray
you as the bonafide next of kin to the deceased whose name is Mr.
Mohamed mohd.

If you accept to carry out this project with us, we will
offer you 30% of the total sum, while I and my colleagues involved will
take 70% of the total sum. Upon your acceptance to do this deal with us,
we will jointly effect the transfer within eight working days.
Be rest
assured that, this transaction carries no risk and no extra
responssibilities on your part, except the above mentioned roles and
normally you will be required to maintain absolute information and
absolute secrecy throughout the duration of this transaction, because
discussing it with a third party might jeopardise the entire
transaction.

I am looking forward to receiving your interesting
response on this project as this will greatly enrich the both of us at
the end. please You may contact me throughmy private
email(mr_ade_williams24@yahoo.com)
BEST REGARDS,
DR ADE WILLIAMS
PRIVATE
PHONE +229 97 87 55 10 Or +229 93 05 39 73

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam