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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
  
  
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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "industrial and commercial bank of china" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand us 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)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "andrew lee" <andrewhee@telegraf.by>
Reply-To: andrew101lee@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2008 11:47:08 +0000
Subject: I Await Your Timely Reply


Dear Friend,

I got your contact during my search on the Internet. My name is ANDREW LEE,
the branch manager of (I.C.B.C) INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL BANK OF CHINA here
in Hong Kong.
I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit both of us.

As the Branch manager, it is my duty to send financial reports to my bank
head office.
On the course of last year 2007 end of the year reports,
I discovered that my branch which I am the manager made Ten Million five
Hundred Thousand US Dollars(10,500.000.00) of which my head office is not
aware of and will never be aware of it.
I have since then PLACED this fund on a SUSPENSE ACCOUNT without a
beneficiary.
As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money thus
I am impelled to request for your assistance to receive this money into your
bank account. I intend to part 40% of this fund to you while 60% shall be
for me.
I do need to assure you that there are practically no risks involved in this
transaction. It is going to be a bank-to bank transfer. All I need from you
is to stand as the original depositor of this fund.
If you accept this offer, I will appreciate your timely response.

With regards,
Andrew Lee
Hong Kong

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam