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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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)
  • "i will like you to " (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)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "abdul faruk" <abdulfaruk33@yahoo.fr>
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2008 10:13:54 +0200
Subject: TREAT URGENT & PRIVATE


DR.ABDULFARUK
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER,
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO.

Dear Friend,

I am the manager of auditing department of BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A) here in
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. In my department we discovered an abandoned sum
of US$20.5m dollars (Twenty Million Five Hundred Thousand US dollars) in an
account that belongs to one of our foreign customer (DR. GEORGE BRUMLEY
FROM U.S.A) who died along with his entire family on November 2000 in a
plane crash.

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next
of kin to come over and claim his money because we can not release it
unless some body applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased
as indicated in our banking guideling and laws but unfortunately we learnt
that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at
the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim. It is therefore upon
this discovery that I now decided to make this business proposal to you,so
that the money can be release to you as the next of kin or relation to the
deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody will come for
it and we don't want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed
dormant fund.
The banking law and guidline here stipulates that if such money remained
unclaimed after eight years the money will be transfered into the bank
treasury as unclaimed dormant fund. The request of foreigner as next of kin
in this business is occassioned by the fact that the customer was a
foreigner and a Burkinabe like me can not stand as next of kin to a
foreigner.
I agreed that 40% of this money will be for you as a respect to the
provision of a foriegn account ,10% will be set aside for expenses incurred
during the business and 50% would be for me.Thereafter, I will visit your
country for disbursement according to the percentage indicated Therefore,
to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you arranged,you must
apply first to the bank as relation or next of kin to the deceased customer
with a text of application that i will send to you,but before i send to you
the text of application form,I will like you to send me the following
informations
1.NAME IN FULL:................................
2.ADDRESS:.......................................
3.NATIONALITY:...................................
4.AGE:.............................................
5.Sex..............................................
6.OCCUPATION:......................................
7.MARITAL STATUS:..................................
8.PRIVATE PHONE NO............................................
9.PRIVATE FAX NO:.............................................
so i will like you to send to me those informations for easy and effective
communication.
Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of
the application form.I will not fail to bring to your notice that this
transaction is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any atom of
fear as all required arrangements will be made for the transfer. You should
contact me immediately as soon as
you receive this letter,if only you are intrested and ready to help.
Trusting to hear from you immediately.
Yours Faithfully,

DR.ABDUL FARUK
MANAGER AUDITING DEPARTMENT
BANK OF
AFRICA

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam