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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:

• 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:
  • "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)
  • "million united states 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)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • m.douhn1@yahoo.es (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "m_douhn02 Gazeta.pl" <m_douhn02@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: m.douhn1@yahoo.es
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:59:55 +0100
Subject: FROM MR. MICHAEL DOUHN,


FROM MR. MICHAEL DOUHN,
ACCOUNTS/AUDITS DEPARTMENT,
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK PLC (A.D.B)
COTONOU,REPUBLIC OF BENIN,WEST AFRICA.

My Dear ,

Greetings To You And Your Family. It Is After An Abortive Discreet And
Thorough Investigations At The Foreign Affairs Office Of The
COTONOU,REPUBLIC OF BENIN Chamber Of Commerce And Industries Inoder To
Locate A Reliable Foreigner, Who Will Assist Me In Executing This Deal, I
with Absolute Confidence In The Dignity And Intergrity Of Your Personality,
Wished To Contact And Introduce To You A Great Beneficial Business Which
Fundamentally,Is Based On Mutual Trust And Sense Of Purpose.

Briefly, I am Mr. Michael Douhn,director In Charge Of Auditing And
Accounting Section Of AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK PLC (A.D.B),COTONOU,REPUBLIC
OF BENIN,WEST AFRICA. With Due Respects And Regards,This Business
Transaction Will Be Very Beneficial To Both Of Us At The End.

During Investigations And Auditing In This Bank,I Came Across A Dormant
Account With A Huge Amount Of Money Belonging To A Deceased
Customer,"REPUBLIC OF BENIN BASED" Business Magnate Who Died With His Entire
Family,In The Boeing 727 Air crash On Friday 26th December 2003.( 11:15 AM
EST (1615 GMT),This Is The Crash Website,Pls Kindly View It For Your
Confirmation: *www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/

* <http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/>No Body Was
Recovered From The Crash.This fund Has Been Dormant In His Account With My
Bank without Any Claim Of The Fund That Is In Our Custody Neither From His
Family Or Relation Before My Discovery To This Development. Although,I
Personally Kept This Information Secret To Enable The Whole Plans And Ideas
Be Carried Out Successfuly During The Time Of Execution.The Said Amount Is
Twenty Five Million United States Dollars Only( US$25 M ). Meanwhile All The
Arrangement To Put Claim Over This Fund As The Bonafide Next Of Kin To The
Deceased Customer,To Get The Required Approval And Transfer Of This Money To
A Foreign Account Has Been Put In Place By Me.

Also Directives And Needed Information Will Be Related To You As Soon As You
Indicate Your Interest And Willingness To Assist Me In This Deal. In fact I
Could Have Done This Deal Alone,But Because Of My Position In This Country
As A Civil Servant,We Are Not Allowed To Operate A Foreign Account And It
Would Eventually Raise An Eye Brow On My Side During The Time Of Transfer
Because I Work In This Bank.This Is The Actual Reason Why It Will Require A
Second Party And A Foreigner,Who Will Be Portrayed As The Next Of Kin To The
Deceased Customer.

I Will Not Fail To Inform You That This Transaction Is 100% Risk Free And
Your Entitlement As Gratification Is Negotiable Upon Your Acceptance Of This
Proposal. Upon The Conclussion Of This Transaction And You Confirm The Fund
In Your Bank Account,Some Percentages Out Of The Total Involved Fund Will Be
Aside To Take Care Of Expenses That Was Incured During The Processing Of The
Claims And Transfer Of The Fund.

Please,You Have Been Adviced Absolutely To Keep This Transaction As Top
Secret Because Iam Still In Service And I Intended To Retire From Service
After Concluding This Deal With You. I Will Be Monitoring The Whole
Situation Here In This Bank Until You Confirm The Money In Your Account,And
Ask Me To Come Down To Your Country For Subsequent Sharing Of The Fund
According To Percentages Which We May Agree On,And For My investment In Your
Country Also. All Other Necessary Information Will Be Sent To You When I
Hear From You.

I Suggest You Get Back To Me As Soon As Possible,Stating Your Wish In This
Transaction Proposal Through My Confidential E-mail Address As Follows: (*
m.douhn1@yahoo.es* <http://mail.google.com/mc/compose?to=m.douhn1@yahoo.es>)


Yours Faithfully,


Mr. Michael Douhn
Tel:+ 229-970-173-50

E-mail: *m.douhn1@yahoo.es*<http://mail.google.com/mc/compose?to=m.douhn1@yahoo.es>

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK PLC (A.D.B).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam