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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
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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (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. )
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • wmcc1188@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Wilson Morgan wm" <wmcc1122@me.by>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 23:48:51 +0100
Subject: Dear Friend


Dear Friend,

Actually I contacted you for a profitable business which I strongly beleive
that you can
handle for me because of your profession. This letter may come to you as a
surprise
since it is coming from someone you have not met before and due to high
volume of Spam
mail that goes around the world through this means, but I have no other
choice than to
send it to you through the internet means, Therefore, I will appreciate it
if you honour
it and give me all your trust and full co-operation.

I am Mr. Wilson Morgan, the president of a special task force in charge of
the sales
of petroleum products. My office monitors the sales and lifting of crude oil
and other
petroleum products to foreign dealers.

I successfully moved out some amount of money worth $11M and was deposited
in a
security company in Amsterdam. I will like you to receive the money on my
behalf as i
will make all the arrangement for the bank to transfer the money to you,
because i will
like to invest the money in your area of specialisation or a profitable
business.

I will offer you 20% of the principal capital for your assistance and and
5% will be
for any expenses that both of us may incur during this transaction.

Please if you are interested and willing to accept my offer do contact me
with my private email address: wmcc1188@yahoo.fr

Hope to hear from you as soon as you get this mail.

Thanks you,

Mr. Wilson Morgan

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam