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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• 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:

• 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)
  • ",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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • +2348035236625 (Nigeria, 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.
  • dr_pat_ukwu@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "UKWU DR PAT" <dr_ukwu@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: dr_pat_ukwu@yahoo.com
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:04:01 -0700
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS DEAL !


Dear Friend.
PRIVATE MEMO.

I am Dr. Pat Ukwu, a banker with Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria. There is a
dormant account in my bank and the owner of the account died in 1999 plan
crash and until the crash I was the account officer of the deceased.

There is a credit balance of ($8,500,000.00) Eight Million five hundred
thousand Dollars Only) which has been dormant for years now and after
further investigation, I discovered that the account and the money belong to
a deceased foreign contractor working in Texaco oil company, Nigeria.

For more insight about the crash – click this link;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm

As a staff of the bank I cannot lay claims on this money direct. What I need
is to present you as next of kin and make you the rightful beneficiary of
the fund, so that the ( $8.5m ) will be release to you as the rightful
beneficiary. There after I will come to share as agree below.

Every record concerning this fund and all the legal documents backing the
funds are in my possession, which will be forwarded to you once you indicate
your interest.

After everything, you shall have 20% of the total sum, while 80% will be for
me. All I required is your honest cooperation to enable us conclude this
business successfully.

There is absolutely no risk involved.

My Regards
Dr.Pat Ukwu
E-mail: dr_pat_ukwu@yahoo.com<http://us.mc357.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=dr_pat_ukwu@yahoo.com>
Phone: +2348035236625
Head Operations.
Zenith Bank PLC Nigeria

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam