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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +23417595817 (Nigeria, landline)
• 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.
  • bruce_nnpc@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • drdankofi@katamail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: DR. BEN BRUCE <bruce_nnpc@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 18:19:35 +0200
Subject: RE: URGENT & CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL



FROM THE DESK OF DR.BEN BRUCE DIRECTOR FUNDS CO-O0RDINATOR (NNPC)
FAX; 234-1-7595817 Email;bruce_nnpc@yahoo.com Dear Friend, RE: URGENT
& CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL. I am the Director, Funds
Co-coordinator of the Finance/Contract Department of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). My office is also saddled with
the responsibility of screening, categorization and prioritization of
projects embarked upon by NNPC as well as feasibility studies for
selected projects and supervising the projects consultants involved.
A breakdown of the fiscal expenditure by this office as at the end of
the fourth fiscal quarter of 2006 indicates that the NNPC paid out a
whooping sum of US$736M (Seven Hundred and Thirty Six Million, United
States Dollars) to successful contract beneficiaries. The NNPC is now
compiling beneficiaries to be paid at the first fiscal quarter of
2007. The crux of this letter is that the finance/contract department
of the NNPC deliberately over-inflated the contract value of the
various contracts awarded. In the course of disbursement, this
department has been able to track down the sum of US$40.5M (Fourty
Million, Five Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars) as the over-invoiced sum.
This money is now lying and floating in the NNPC domiciliary account
with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). I and my colleagues now want
to quickly transfer this fund to a safe nominate foreign account for
possible investment abroad. We are not allowed as a matter of
government policy to operate any foreign account because of our status
as civil/public servants. Hence the need to solicit for your full
Banking details to enable us Transfer this money into your account on
Swift Code. We have also evolved a sharing formula as follows:- 1) 30%
for the foreign account owner (2) 60% for l and my colleagues 3) 10%
will be set aside to defray all incidental expenses both locally and
internationally during the course of this transaction. Furthermore, we
shall be coming over to your country when the money is finally in your
account and we shall be relying on your advice as regards to
investment of our share. Be informed that, this business is genuine
and 100% safe considering the high powered government officials
involved. Send by fax the following information:- 1) YOUR COMPANY NAME
AND ADDRESS, BANK NAME, ADDRESS AND ACCOUNT NUMBER 2) YOUR
TELEPHONEAND FAX NUMBER FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. This is to affect
the Swift Transfer of this fund into your account in less than Seven
(7) working days. Please reply immediately through my email address;
drdankofi@katamail.com. While looking forward to a healthy business
relationship with you. Sincerely, DR.BEN BRUCE

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam