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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:
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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.

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:
  • "transfer of your funds" (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)
  • "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
  • "you are advise to" (this email uses bad English)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +447031899565 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • info.citibank85@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "info.citibank85@yahoo.co.uk" <uno_org10@mailbox.hu>
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 05:00:25 +0100
Subject: IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR PAYMENT WITH AFRICAN COUNTRIES


THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION
In Conjunction with the International Monetary Fund
OHCHR, Dalais Wilson, CH 1211 Geneva 10,Switzerland
Senior Human Rights Officer and international payment department

Kind Attn: Beneficiary with African Countries

IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR PAYMENT WITH AFRICAN COUNTRIES
Sequel to the meeting we have with all the African country leaders regards
to all the payment been owed by the African continent, the Chairman
Organization of African Unit (OAU) has made it known to all the
beneficiaries been owed by African via contract, inheritance, Lottery
Winners, during his recent interview with British broadcasting co-operation
(BBC) that all the debt been owed by the Africans should be paid to them via
OAU account with the supervision of the Citi Bank of London UK, which you
happened to be one of them.

You are advice to stop any further communication with anybody and contact
this office, The Citi Bank of London UK which the officer in-charge is,
Mr. ANDREW WOLLEY
Email: info.citibank85@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +447031899565

Your above fund has been deposited in your account stated below which was
submitted to this office by your representative. The formal payment officer
that has been handling your payment before have been instructed to hands up
from your payment due to the petitions and complain we have been receiving
from all parts of the world against African countries the way they are
delaying their beneficiaries fund.

Some petitions we received made it known to us that some beneficiaries have
loose all they have achieve in the life time due to the way Africans are
asking them to pay one charge or the other in regards of their payments.]

You are advise to contact the above office immediately for the immediate
transfer of your
funds without any further delay.

Yours Sincerely
THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam