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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:
  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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "georgeokon4 Gazeta.pl" <georgeokon4@gazeta.pl>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 04:49:03 +0100
Subject: PLEASE RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.


FROM THE DESK OF MR. GEORGE OKON
WEMA BANK PLC,
LAGOS-NIGERIA.

DEAR FRIEND,

I AM MR. GEORGE OKON, THE MANAGER BILLS AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN
REMITTANCe DEPARTMENT OF WEMA BANK PLC. I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO ASK FOR
YOUR SUPPORT AND COOPERATION TO CARRY OUT THIS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IN MY
DEPARTMENT. WE DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF $15,000,000.00 (FIFTEEN
MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR
FOREIGN CUSTOMERS WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY OF A WIFE AND TWO
CHILDREN IN NOVEMBER 1997 IN A PLANE CRASH.
SINCE WE HEARD OF HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT-OF-KIN TO COME
OVER AND PUT CLAIMS FOR HIS MONEY AS THE HEIR,BECAUSE WE CANNOT RELEASE THE
FUND FROM HIS ACCOUNT UNLESS SOMEONE APPLIES FOR CLAIM AS THE NEXT-OF-KIN TO
THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES. UNFORTUNATELY, NEITHER
THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS NOR DISTANT RELATIVES HAVE APPEARED TO CLAIM THE SAID
FUND. UPON THIS DISCOVERY,I AND OTHER OFFICIALS IN MY DEPARTMENT HAVE AGREED
TO MAKE BUSINESS WITH YOU AND RELEASE THE TOTAL AMOUNT INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS
THE HEIR OF THE FUND SINCE NO ONE CAME FOR IT OR DISCOVERED HE MAINTAINED
ACCOUNT WITH OUR BANK, OTHERWISE THE FUND WILL BE RETURNED TO THE BANKS
TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUND.
WE HAVE AGREED THAT OUR RATIO OF SHARING WILL BE AS STATED THUS;
30 % FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER,
60 % FOR US THE OFFICIALS IN MY DEPARTMENT AND
10% FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF ALL LOCAL AND FOREIGN EXPENCES INCURRED BY US AND
YOU DURING THE COURSE OF THIS BUSINESS. UPON THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF
THIS TRANSFER, I AND ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL COME TO YOUR COUNTRY AND MIND
OUR SHARE. IT IS FROM OUR 60 % WE INTEND TO IMPORT AGRICULTURAL MACHINERIES
INTO MY COUNTRY AS A WAY OF RECYCLING THE FUND.
TO COMMENCE THIS TRANSACTION, WE REQUIRE YOU TO IMMEDIATELY INDICATE YOUR
INTEREST BY A RETURN E-MAIL AND ENCLOSE YOUR PRIVATE CONTACT TELEPHONE
NUMBER, FAX NUMBER,FULL NAMES AND ADDRESS AND YOUR DESIGNATED BANK
COORDINATES TO ENABLE US FILE LETTER OF CLAIM TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS
FOR NECESSARY APPROVALS BEFORE THE TRANSFER
CAN BE MADE. NOTE ALSO, THIS TRANSACTION MUST BE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
BECAUSE OF IT'S NATURE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE.
REGARDS,
MR. GEORGE OKON
WEMA BANK PLC.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam