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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:
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge deposit" (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 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)
  • "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)
  • "accredited attorney" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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.
  • mrjohn_cole@rocketmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: =?utf-8?q?Mr=20JOHN=20Cole?= <cole_mrjohn@yahoo.com.co>
Reply-To: mrjohn_coleoffice@rocketmail.com
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 08:35:18 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: ESTATE TRUST BANK LIMITED


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:cole_mrjohn@yahoo.com.co



- ATTENTION: BENEFICIARY,This mail may come to you as a surprise but I plead with you to patiently read through it before making a decision whether to assist me or not. I am Mr. John Cole; I work with Estate Trust Bank (Gambia) Ltd, in the Republic of Gambia. I am the bank manager to Late Mr. Mark Jason,a national of your country, who is an Oil consultant/contractor with the Gambia Mining Corporation, (Name deliberately with held for now) made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for Twelve Calendar months, valued at US$6,500,000.00 (Six Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) in my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. On Friday, 14 January, 2000, 14:22 GMT, My customer, his wife and their three children perished in a plane crash [WITH LIBYAN AIRLINE] with other foreign oil workers aboard as you can confirm it yourself through the website below. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/602408.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/612876.stm all occupants of the plane unfortunately lost their lives. Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my customer's extended relatives this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you. I am contacting you to assist in repatriating the money and property left behind by My customer before they get confiscated or declared on serviceable by my bank where this huge deposit were lodged. Particularly, The investigation Department of my bank where the deceased had an account valued US$6,500,000.00 (Six Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) have issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next ten official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 7 years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you are a foreigner and bear the same last name with him, so that the proceeds of this account valued at $6.5 million dollars can be paid to you then allowed the wicked government officials to transfer the funds left behind to their own private accounts, than you and i can share the money.50% to me and 50% to you. I have all necessary Information’s that can be used to back up any claim we may make. This money (US$6,500,000.00) is still lying in my Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will ever come forward to claim it. And according to Laws of Republic of Gambia, at the expiration of 8 (Eight) Years, the money will revert to the ownership of The Gambian Government if nobody applies to claim the fund. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the bank accredited attorney and my position as the bank manager to Late Mr. successful execution of this transaction. lf you are interested in giving the required assistance, kindly reply this mail stating your full Name,Telephone/Fax numbers for further action. Because of the secrecy surrounding this transaction, l suggests that you contact me on my email address herein: mrjohn_cole@rocketmail.com l am looking forward to a favorable reply from you soon. Feel free to ask any question in this regard. Yours sincerely, Mr. John Cole

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam