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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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.

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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:
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a orphan scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "williamslinda9@yahoo.pl" <williamslinda@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: williamslinda9@yahoo.pl
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 12:48:48 +0000
Subject: Dear Respectful One,


Dear Respectful One,


GREETINGS
Permit me to inform you of my desire of going to business relationship with
you. I got your
contact from the International web site directory.
I prayed over it and selected your name among other names due to it's
esteeming nature and the recommendations given to me as a reputable and
trust worthy person I can do business with and by their recommendations I
must not hesitate to confide in your for this simple and sincere business.
I am Linda Williams the only Daughter of late Mr and Mrs Denis Williams. My
father was a very wealthy cocoa merchant in Abidjan, the economic capital of
Ivory Coast before he was poisoned to death by his business associates on
one of their outing to discus on a business deal.
When my mother died on the 21st October 1989, my father took me and my
younger brother special because we are motherless. Before the death of my
father on
30th June 2000 in a private hospital here in Abidjan.
He secretly called me on his bedside and told me that he has a sum of
$12.500.000 (Twelve Million, five hundred thousand dollars) left in a
suspense account in a LOCAL BANK HERE. He used my name as his first Daughter
for the next of kin in deposit of the fund.
He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth and some huge
amount of money his business associates supposed to balance his from the
deal they had that he was poisoned by his business associates, that I
should seek for a God fearing foreign partnerin a country of my choice where
I will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose, (such as real
estate management).
we are honourably seeking your assistance in the following ways.
1) I will give you the contact of the Bank where my late father deposited
this money.
2) To serve as the guardian of this since I am a girl of 19 years.
Moreover, we are willing to offer you 10% of the sum as compensation for
effort input after the successful transfer of this fund to your designate
account.
Anticipating hearing from you soon.
Thanks and God Bless.

Best regards.
Miss Williams Linda

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam