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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "necessary legal documents" (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. )
  • "million 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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Hank Smith" <mrhsmith26@googlemail.com>
Reply-To: hanksmith@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2008 19:36:58 +0100
Subject: From Mr. Hank Smith


*Dear Friend,*

*My name is Mr. Hank Smith from Harlsden, North West London , here in
England. I work with CITIBANK INTERNATIONAL PLC. LONDON BRANCH. I am writing
you from my office that will be of an imense benefit to both of us. In my
department,being the auditing manager, I discovered an abandoned sum of
$16.5 million USA Dollars (Sixteen million five hundred thousand Usa
Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer Late Mr.
Denis Cook an American citizen who unfortunately lost his life in the era of
Osama Bin Laden Bombing of World Trade centre on the 11th of september 2001
together with his wife and only daughter,

The choice o f contacting you is aroused from the geograpgical nature of
where you live, particularly due to the sensivity of the transaction.and the
confidentiality herein. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the
relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody has done that.I personally has
been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for 2 years now, I seek your
consent to present you as the next of kin /Will Beneficiary to the deceased
so that the proceeds of this account valued at 16.5 Million Dollars can be
paid to you.

This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages,50% to me, 40% to you
and 10% for any expenses incure by both of us. I have secured all necessary
legal documents that can be used to back up this claim we are making. All i
need is to fill in your names to the ducuments and legalise it in the court
here to prove you as the legitimate beneficiary. All I require now is your
honesty, Co-operation,Confidentiality and Trust to enable us see this
transaction through. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a
legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Please,provide me the following: as we have 5 days to run it through. this
is very very URGENT PLEASE.

1. Full Name
2. Your Telephone Number
3. Your Contact Address.

Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping
that you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmation of
this message and indicating your interest will furnish you with more
information. Endeavor to let me know your decision rather than keep me
waiting.*
**
*Awaiting your urgent response.


Regards,
Mr. Hank Smith*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam