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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• 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)
  • "the consignment" (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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • jimwilliams534@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Williams Jim" <jimw123jdj@yamal.info>
Reply-To: jimwilliams534@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 03:00:05 +0200
Subject: Re: Hello


Dear Friend,

Greetings!

Do accept my apologies if my mail does not meet your personal ethics,

I want to introduce myself.

I am Mr. Jim Williams from Botswana; I live here in South Africa with my
Mother Mrs. Vivian Williams However, we write to seek your cooperation to
retrieve our money that is now in the custody of the diplomat who brought it
there in Madrid – Spain after Mr. Thomas Jake disappointed us out of greed
as we initially agreed to compensate him with 30% of the total sum of the
money ($15M USD) but, on the arrival of the diplomat there he refused our
initial agreement and demands 60% of the total sum.

Moreover, if you can assist to participate and retrieve this money from the
diplomat as he does not know the content of the consignment, we will be very
happy to compensate you with 30% of the total sum. This transaction is 100%
risk free.

Furthermore, we will give you the contact details of the diplomat there in
Madrid – Spain, as he arrived yesterday, so that you can contact with him,
and then take delivery of the consignment. Consequently, we need an
experienced person like you to assist us set up, develop our project as we
intend to invest in building a tourist hotel, real estate development and on
agriculture, on resumption of this project, you will be our director for the
role and assistance you rendered, and you will also be entitled to a
percentage agreed upon from the investment.

We will be very glad if you will take into consideration our urgent plea and
respond as soon as possible.

Please contact me on my email:
jimwilliams534@gmail.com<http://us.mc384.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jimwilliams534@gmail.com>

Regards,
Jim Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam