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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "lagos" (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.
  • director.chris_kelvin08@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "chris45322 Gazeta.pl" <chris45322@gazeta.pl>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:24:45 +0100
Subject: reply as soon as posible


FROM THE DESK OF MR CHRIS KELVIN,
PLOT 235,KOFI OLUWAY WAY,LAGOS-NIGERIA.
AFRICA.

MR Chris Kelvin)

good day,

Greetings to you,let me introduce myself, This letter must come to you as
a big surprise, but I believe it is only a day that people meet and become
great friends and business partners.My name is Chris Kelvin, the present
branch Manager of a bank here in Nigeria.I write you This proposal in good
faith, believing that I can trust you with the information I am about to
reveal to you. Like I said,I have a transaction that will benefit both of
us, as your assistance is required as a foreigner.


I use to head the Accounts department in my bank head office, but last
December I was asked to take position of a Manager of our branch in Lagos
who passed on, so that was how I became the present Manager and discovered
a fortune. As I resumed duty, I discovered an account with total sum of
$6,500,000 (SIX Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) that
has not been operated on for the past 6 years. From my investigation, I
found out that this account belongs to one Late Mr.Andreas Schranner, a
German great industrialist and a resident of Munich, who unfortunately lost
his life along with his wife And their only child in the plane crash of
CONCORDE AIRLINE [Flight AF4590 ] which crashed on 25TH JULY, 2000. You
shall read more news about the crash on visiting this site, which I got
during my investigation;


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm


The account is escrow call account, a secret type of account in my bank and
no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the
account has no other beneficiary.I have kept a close monitoring of the
account since then. and nobody has come forward to ask about the money as
next of kin to the late Mr. Andreas Schranner, meaning that no one is
aware of the account. I cannot directly take out this money without the
help of a foreigner and that is why I am contacting you for an assistance
to claim the funds and share it with me.


As the Manager of my bank branch, I have the power to influence the release
of the funds to any foreigner that comes up as the next of kin to the
account, with the correct information concerning the account, which I shall
give you. I am seeking your co-operation to present you as the next of kin
to the account, so that my bank head quarters will release the funds to
you.There is practically no risk involved, the transaction will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any
breach of law.


If you accept to work with me, I want you to state how you wish us to share
the funds in percentage, so that both parties will be satisfied. Contact me
as soon as you receive this message if you feel we can work together, so
we can go over the details.Thanking you in advance and may God bless you.
Please, treat with utmost confidentiality. reply strictly to my private
mail address:(director.chris_kelvin08@yahoo.fr)
I wait your urgent response.
Regards,
Chris Kelvin
(Lagos-Nigeria

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam