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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +22993130548 (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.
  • wsadirect@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: "wsa_bn Gazeta.pl" <wsa_bn@gazeta.pl>
Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 20:49:33 +0200
Subject: From Wesley kumalu


WESLEY KUMALU
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC
TEL:+229-9313-0548
PRIVATE EMAIL: wsadirect@yahoo.fr

Dear Sir,

I am Wesley Kumalu a staff of a well-known bank here in Cotonou Benin
Republic .One of our accounts with holding balance equivalent of £9,600,000
(Nine million six hundred thousand British pounds) has been dormant and last
operated in the past 7years. From investigations and confirmations, the
owner of this account is a Japanese Foreigner by name Engineer Meiji Iwatani
who died on the crashed on 31 January 2000.

Since then nobody has done anything as regards to the claiming of this money
as there was no declared next of kin. Information from the National
Immigration service also states that late Engineer Meiji Iwatani was single
on point of entry into Benin Republic. I have confidentially discussed this
issue with a fellow staff and we have agreed to find a reliable foreign
partner to deal with.

We thus propose to do business with you standing in as the next of kin of
this fund. The fund will be released to you after due processes have been
followed. This transaction is totally free of risk as the fund is
legitimate. On your interest, respond to my request ASAP for more breifing.

Best Regards,
Wesley Kumalu

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam