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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "30% for you " (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)
• 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.
  • +27741172698 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Peter Cole" <petercole133@biz.by>
Reply-To: petercole68@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:45:57 +0200
Subject: Please Acknowledge!


Dear Sir/madam,

I am a staff of one of the leading banks in South Africa I am writing asking
for your indulgence in re-profiling funds, which we want to keep under your
supervision.

The Funds totaling ($14,700,000) I am only contacting you as a foreigner
because this fund cannot be approved to a local Bank here in South Africa,
because the funds are in US Dollars and the owner of this account is Mr.
Morris Thompson from America, and he died since 2000 in an air crash along
with his wife & Daughter on 31/01/2000 in an Alaska Airlines Flight 261 with
other passengers on board.

You can confirm from this

http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/

Please, I am proposing 30% for you for your assistance while my colleagues
and I receive 60% and 10% earmarked for purposes of taxation in your country
and mine. Please if you are interested kindly forward to me the following
information's stated below:

(1) Your direct telephone number
(2) Your direct fax number
(3) Your Full Names
(4) Your age
(5) Your Country of Origin
(6) Your Residential Address

All that is require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see
this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under
legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Your reply should indicate your willingness in assisting us. And I will send
you all the detailed information's and documents that you will need to
process an application for the claims of the funds.

I look forward towards a good business relationship with you.

You can also call me on my direct number +27 74 117 2698.

Kind Regards,

Mr. Peter Cole

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam