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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "million united state 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)
  • "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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +2348037294805 (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.
  • drjamesjo@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3bdrjamesjo@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "dr james john" <drjamesjo1@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 13:40:37 +0300
Subject: RE: TRANSFER OF $ 29,000.000.00 USD


*Dear Sir/Madam,

RE: TRANSFER OF $ 29,000.000.00 USD
(TWENTY NINE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS)

I am Dr James John, the Auditor General of Central Bank of Nigeria West
Africa, during the course of our Auditing, I discovered a floating fund in
an account opened in Zenith Bank in 1993 and since 1997 nobody has operated
on this account again. After going through some old files in the records I
discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the
money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be
forfeited for nothing.

The owner of this account is Mr. Howard Sweeney, a foreigner, a miner and an
industrialist.He made millions of dollars before he died mysteriously .Since
1997 no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it. My
investigation proved to me that the account has no other beneficiary and
that Mr.Howard Sweeney until his death was the manager Sweeney Coy.(pty).
SA. We will start the first transfer with six million dollars
[$6,000,000.00] upon successful transaction without any disappoint from your
side, we shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining amount to your
account.
The amount involved is (USD 29M) Twenty Nine million United States Dollars
only. I want to first transfer$6,000.000 [Six million United States Dollar]
from this money into a safe foreigners account abroad before the rest, but I
don't know any foreigner.

I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me
down in this business. Also send your private telephone number and fax
number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit
.
I need your strong assurance that you will never let me down in this
business proposition. With my influence and the position of a bank official
who is working in our favor we can transfer this money to any foreigner's
reliable account which you can provide with assurance that this money will
be intact pending our physical arrival in your country for sharing.
The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we
receive this money leaving no trace to any place and to build confidence you
can come immediately to discuss with me face to face after which I will make
this remittance in your presence and
three of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money
going into the account,At the conclusion of this business, you will be given
35% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses
both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring.

I look forward to your earliest response

Best Regards,
DR JAMES JOHN
EMAIL;drjamesjo@hotmail.com <EMAIL%3Bdrjamesjo@hotmail.com>
Phone;+2348037294805.
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam