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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.

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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • barrchuksben@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: barristerdmark@freenet.de
Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:43:57 +0200
Subject: URGENT REPLY NEEDED TO PROCCED




HON.BARR. CHUKs BEN & CO. CHAMBERS
10TH FLOOR, LE SACRE COUR
VILLA
207 AVENUE HOUPHET BOIGNY
COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN.
EMAIL=
barrchuksben@sify.com.
My Dear Friend,
I am Barrister CHUKs BEN ,a
solicitor. Am the personal attorney to Engr.Carrier.A. national of
your country, possibly Could be your
brother, who used to Work with
Oando Petroleum Development Company [West Africa] Cotonou Branch
hereinafter shall be referred to as my
client. In 2003, my client, his
wife and their two children were involved in a plane crash in a
village called Adjarra near Porto Novou after take off from Cotonou
here in Benin Republic. It was unfortunate that my client and his
family all lost their lives in the crash.For more on the plane crash
logon to
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3348109.stm
Since then I have
made several enquiries at your embassy here in otonou and Porto Novou
to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also prove
unsuccessful.After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to
track his last name over the internet, to locate any member of his
family hence I contacted you. I have contacted you to assist in
repatriating the money and property left behind by my client before
they get confiscated, frozen or declared nserviceable by the bank
where these huge deposits were lodged. PARTICULARLY, THE AFRICAN
DEVELOPMENT BANK INTERNATIONAL where the deceased had an account valued
at about TWENTY FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS US25.5M. The
Management has issued me a notice to provide the next Of kin or have
the account frozen within the next twenty Official working days.
Since
I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years now
i seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the
deceased
since you have the same last name so that the proceeds of this account
valued at USD25.5 M can be paid to you and then you and
me can share
the money. 60% to me and 40% to you. I have all the necessary legal
documents that can be used to back up any claim we may
make.And this I
must do to make sure that this fund is not Wasted or end up in the
wrong hands. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see
this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a
legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law. I am waiting your urgent reply.Through this my private email
address: barrchuksben@sify.com.
My Best Regards To You And Your
Family,
Yoursfaithfully,
Barrister Chuks Ben.


Unbegrenzter Speicher,
Top-Spamschutz, 120 SMS und eigene E-MailDomain
inkl.
http://office.freenet.de/dienste/emailoffice/produktuebersicht/power/mail/index.html

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam