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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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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 deposit" (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 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)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +22995418329 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • mr_mikeandre772@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mike ANDREE" <mikesandree1@colombia.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 12:39:01 +0200
Subject: Good Morning Dear Friend,


Good Morning Dear Friend,
Directeur in charge of External Transactions
Mr. Mike ANDREE
45 Bt. Rue de commerce de poste.
Tél. +229-95-41-83-29
Email: mr_mikeandre772@hotmail.fr
Dear,
With respect to your time and person, my name is Mr. Mike ANDRE, a staff of
one of the prime banks in F.F.B. I am contacting you in regards to a
business that will be of great benefit for both of us. I am the Account
Manager to late Engr. Amber Wood a National of your country, who used to
work with an oil servicing company as a consulting Engineer here in Cotouonu
d'Benin.

My client, his wife, and their three children were involved in fatal car
accident in the Cotonoun in January 2005 on their way back from Yamoussoukro
resort which every passenger on board died. Since then I have made several
inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives to
no avail. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last
name over the Internet, to see if I could locate any member of his family
hence I contacted you.

Of particular interest is this huge deposit with our bank here, where the
deceased has an account valued at about ($24.5 million US dollars). The bank
authority have issued me a notice to provide the next of kin, Otherwise the
bank will declare the account unserviceable and thereby send the funds to
Government treasury. I will seek your consent to present you as the next of
kin or close relative of the deceased, so that the proceeds of this account
valued at ($24.5million US dollars) and I propose a 50:50 spilt at the end
of the transcation. I will be here to give you all the guidelines and
advices till we get this actaulised.

If you can handle this with me, I will need your full name, address, date of
birth and telephone/fax numbers. With these information, I will carefully
work on the account file so that you apply for the release of the money as
the next of kin. I expect your speedy response.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable unseeing this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under all legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Email:
mr_mikeandre772@hotmail.fr
Thanking you for your anticipated coopération.
Sincerely,
Mr Mike ANDREE

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam