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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:

• 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)
  • "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)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• 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.
  • +22997859778 (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.
  • gorge_williams1@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: gorgewilliams88822244@mail.mn
Reply-To: gorge_williams1@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 14:26:24 +0100
Subject: I SEEK YOUR CONSENT PLEASE


**
**
**
**

*Dear friend, *
**
* I SEEK YOUR
CONSENT PLEASE *
**
*First, I must solicit your confidence in this letter. I am Mr. Gorge
williams, the director of Bill and Exchange Department in the Bank where i
work. I am writing you this letter to seek your partnership cooperation in
receiving a total amount of $7.3M (Seven Million Three Hundred Thousand
United States dollars) which was deposited with our Bank here in Republic of
Benin. This total amount was deposited by late Mr. Andreas Schranner, a
German citizen. During my Quarterly Auditing/Accounting, this said amount
was discovered in a Domiciliary Account favouring our foreign customer.*
**
*Mr. Andreas Schranner who died along with his wife and other passengers in
Air France flight AF4590 crashed on Monday, 31 July, 2000, 13:22 GMT 14:22
UK, near Paris. On more information about the death of Mr. Andreas
Schranner, SEE THE LINK BELOW (**
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm*<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm>
*) *
*Since the untimely death of Mr. Andreas Schranner and his family, the
management of our bank has mandated my office to make several enquiries to
locate any of his extended relatives, but no fruitful result was achieved as
all my efforts also proved unsuccessful to locate any member of his family.
Before my observation in this development, I discovered that late Mr.
Andreas Schranner did not make an HEIR/WILL. The management has been
deliberating on how to revert this fund to the Treasury account since I have
been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 8 years. It is
therefore upon this discovery that I and my junior colleague in my
department decided to seek your consent to present you as the next of kin or
relation to the deceased so that we will quickly move this money out of
Benin Republic to be transfer in your account as the next of kin or relation
entitled to inherit this fund.*
**
*All arrangement to transfer this deposited fund has been put in place and
all I require is your honest and sincere partnership co-operation to enable
us see this money transferred into your secured account. As an insider in
the bank, I have perfected all the necessary arrangement that will back up
the claim of this deposited fund and I guarantee you that this fund transfer
will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect both of us
from any breach of the law. On smooth transferred of this total deposited
fund to your providing account, you will be entitled to your own share of
the total sum as gratification. We agreed that 20% of this money will be for
you as our receiving partner, while 80% would be for me and my junior
colleague. Thereafter I will visit your country for disbursement and further
investment plans.*
**
*You have been advised to keep this information a top secret as we are still
working in the bank and intend to resign from service after this money is
transferred to your account. I shall furnish you with further details and
necessary procedures with which to make a quick transfer progress. I suggest
you get back to me immediately through my private email address (**
gorge_williams1@yahoo.com* <gorge_williams1@yahoo.com>*) direct telephone
number (00229 9785 9778) stating your wish in this urgent matter.*
*Thanks for your anticipated cooperation and best regards.*
*Yours sincerely,*
**
*Mr. Gorge williams.
Direct Tel: 00229 9785 9778

*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam