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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs Nina Mayers" <ninacares08@livedoor.com>
Reply-To: nina.mayers101@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 10:08:31 -0700
Subject: Dear Friend


Hello Friend,

My name is Mrs. Nina Mayers. I am a dying woman who has decided to donate
what I have to charity through you.You may be wondering why I chose you. But
someone has to be chosen.I am 59 years old and was diagnosed for cancer
about 2 years ago,years after the death of my husband who had left me
everything he worked for.I have decided to donate from what I have inherited
from my late husband to charity through you for the good work of
humanity,rather than allow my relatives to use my husbands hard earned funds
inappropriately.

I am presently in London waiting for an operation and praying that I
survive. I have decided to WILL/Donate the sum of US$10.5 Million (Ten
Million, Five hundred thousand united state dollars) of my husband
investment in to charity through you for the good work to others.If you are
interested in carrying out this task,i will inform my Family Lawyer so that
he can arrange the release of the funds to you. You may wonder, why don't i
call the the many charity group and donate the fund to them, that is the
more reason i have contacted you, there is a little logistic work to be
done,and it involves direct dealing with the bank and providing the
necessary logistics for the transfer of the fund before the final donation,
for this reason and owning to the fact that my health is bad to carry out
all this i have decided to contact you, in reward, you shall take 20% of the
fund while the rest will be donated to various charities.

NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the
task is accomplished,as I don't want anything that will Jeopardize my last
wish, due to the fact that I do not want relatives or family members
standing in the way of my last wish. If you are wiling to help in this
course kindly reply to this email to enable my lawyer contact you.

Some personal questions?
Are you married?
How old are you?
Your Phone Number/Fax?
What kind of work / business do you do?


Love,
Nina Mayers

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam