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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:
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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. )
  • "million 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)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
• 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.
  • +447031899063 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • dr.johnsonmicheal88@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr Johnson Micheal" <jm01@vmail.co.il>
Reply-To: dr.johnsonmicheal88@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 04:00:26 -0700
Subject: From Dr Johnson Micheal


*Dear Friend,

My Name is Dr Johnson Micheal from Harlesden, North West London, here in
England. I work for Nat west Bank London. I am writing following an
opportunity in my office that will be of an immense benefit to both of us.
In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of $12.5million USA Dollars
(Twelve million five hundred thousand Us Dollars) in an account that belongs
to one of our foreign customers Late Mr. Morris Thompson an American who
unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261
which crashed on January 31 2000, including his wife and only daughter. The
choice of contacting you is aroused from the geographical nature of where
you live, particularly due to the sensitivity of the transaction and the
confidentiality in here. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the
relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody has done that. I personally
have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for 2 years now, I seek
your consent to present you as the next of kin / Will Beneficiary to the
deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at 10.5Million Dollars
can be paid to you. This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages,
60% to me and 40% to you. I have secured all necessary legal documents that
can be used to back up this claim we are making.

All I need is to fill in your names to the documents and legalize it in the
court here to prove you as the legitimate beneficiary. while we have made
arrangements with Diplomatic Envoy in service to move the money through
diplomatic process to your country with all the necessary papers to enhance
depositing the money into a bank in your country.*
**
*All I require now is your honest Co-operation, Confidentiality and Trust to
enable us sees this transaction through. I guarantee you that this will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any
breach of the law. Please, provide me the following: as we have 5 days to
run it through. This is very URGENT PLEASE.

1. Full Name
2. Your Telephone Number
3. Contact Address.*
**
*Your urgent response will be highly anticipated and appreciated when you
contact me.*
*
Best regards,
Dr Johnson Micheal *
*Email: **dr.johnsonmicheal88@yahoo.co.uk* <dr.johnsonmicheal88@yahoo.co.uk>
*mobil: +447031899063
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam