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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
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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:
  • "because it still remains the fastest medium of communication" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • ",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)
  • "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)
  • "i feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  • +447031949820 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: mrjamesmicheal@nonifamily.net
Date: Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:35:41 +0530 (IST)
Subject: From Mr Godwin Frank.

>From Mr Godwin Frank.
PO Box 457 Surrey Street
Norwich NR1 3EA London
Phone:+447031949820


Attn,

RE: TRANSFER OF US$106,000,000.00 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY TO
YOUR ACCOUNT.

I feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business. Though,
this medium (Internet) has been greatly abused, I choose to reach you
through it because it still remains the fastest medium of communication.
However, this correspondence is unofficial and private, and it should be
treated as such.

At first I will like to assure you that this transaction is 100% risk and
trouble free to both parties.

My name is Mr Godwin Frank, I work as the operational manager in account
management section in charge of credit and foreign bills of one of a prime
banks here in London where I worked (BANK OF SCOTLAND LIMITED).On a
routine inspection I discovered a dormant domiciliary account with a
Balance of US$106,000,000. 00 (One hundred and six million U.S dollars
only}. The account holder[The deceased] was believed to be incharge of
doing secret CRUDE OIL transactions in London before his death. On further
discreet investigation, I also discovered that the account holder has died
long ago with his family on a fatal Auto-accident leaving no beneficiary
to the account and no other person knows about this account.

I am in close contact with the manager of the bank here who is my partner
and he is willing to approve the transfer to any reliable and trustworthy
foreigner with foreign bank account because the former operator of the a/c
is a foreigner. I am certainly sure that he has no writen or oral WILL
attached to the account , no beneficiary and nobody will come again for
the claim of this money.

It is only a foreigner who can claim this money with legal claims to the
account holder which I will provide to you if you are interested,
therefore I need your cooperation in this transaction.This money will
remain useless in this dormant account if I did not transfer the fund out
to a foreign account.

I will provide the necessary information and documents needed in order to
claim this money. I only need your cooperation as a foreigner to provide
your safe bank account information for the transfer. All arrangement that
will ensure a smooth transfer of the fund to the account which you are to
nominate is already in place.You should provide me with your correct
account information for the transfer and your direct cell phone lines for
easy communication. I wish for utmost confidentiality in handling this
transaction.

At the conclussion of this transaction, your share will be 40% of the
total transfer sum, 55% for me and my partner while 5% will be set aside
for any expenses both parties might incure during the process of the
transfer. The fund will be transferred to your account in two parts. I
will first transfer USD 6 Million to your account as a test transfer. I
will fly over to meet you after the successful transfer for sharing
according to the agreed percentages.

I will have the remaining balance of USD100 Million transferred to your
account only after the successful sharing of the first transfer without
any disappointment from your side.

Let me hear from you URGENTLY by Email me. You can also fax or call me for
more detail.

Best Regards,
Mr Godwin Frank.
Phone:+447031949820

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam