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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "million united state 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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • alexander.bru@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Alexander Bruce" <bruce_alexander@klikni.cz>
Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 11:56:46 +0200
Subject: Compliment


Dear Friend
Compliment of the day to you out there in your Country and how is life
treating you out there ?Guess great. I am Dr. Alexander Bruce the Manager
in charge of Auditing and Accounting Unit Foreign Remitnant Department of
HERITAGE BANK in Benin Republic.

With due respect and regards i have decides to contact you on a business
Transaction that will be very beneficial to both of us at the end of the
Transaction.Please pay attention and understand the reason why am
contacting you through this email.Doing our auditing in the Bank my
department came across a very huge amount of money which belong to
late, Mr.Morris Thomson an American prominent man who unfortunately lost
his life in a plane crash of Alaska airlines flight 261, which crashed on
January 30th in the year 2000.

The fund has been dormant in his Account in the Bank without any claim of
the fund in our custody either from his family of relatives before our
discovery to this development,although i personally kept this information
secret within my self and patterns to enable the whole plans and idea be
profitable and successful.
Doing the time of execution the amount involve is
( $ 10.4 Million United State Dollars.)

Meanwhile all the arrangement and directives needed to put a claim over this
fund as the bonafide nest of kin to the deceased, the necessary information
will be forward to you as soon you indicate your interest to assist us and
also benefit from it. Particularly the Bank has issued me a notice to
provide the next of kin or have the fund confiscated within the next
fourteen official working days and that is the reason why I seek your
consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased so that the
proceeds of this fund valued will be claimed by you, I guarantee that this
will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from
any breach of the law. You will be entitled to 40% while 60% will be for me
and my partners. Please you have been advise to keep top secret as we are
still in service and intend to retire from service after we conclude this
deal with you.

I will be monitoring the whole situation here in the Bank until you confirm
the money in your Account and ask us to come over to your Country for
subsequent shearing of the fund according to percentages previously
indicated and further investment, either in you Country or other Country you
may advise us to invest in.All other necessary information will be sent to
you when i read from you.I suggest you get back to me as soon as
possible,stating your wish in this deal.

kinds Regards,
Dr. Alexander Bruce

Contact information
alexander.bru@hotmail.fr

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam