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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:
  • "million us 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)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "chief auditor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: ibrahim Aba <ibrahimaba43@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: ibrahim.aba1@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:48:17 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: CONFIRM RECEIPTS



=A0
FROM , MR.IBRAHIM ABA,
AUDITING DEPARTMENT
ECOWAS BANK,
LOME- TOGO BRANCH.
=A0
=A0Dear=A0 Friend,

I have a proposal for you - this however is not mandatory nor will I in any=
manner compel you to honor against your will, I am 50 year old, and work w=
ith a bank (one of the African leading banks in the West Coast). Here in th=
is bank existed a dormant account for the past 8 years which belong to a Am=
erican national who is now late Mr. Lenor and Richard Burson
=A0who died on Egypt Air Flight 1990 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/ameri=
cas/502503.stm=20
=A0
When I discovered that there had been no deposits nor withdrawals from this=
account for this long period, I decided to carry out a system investigatio=
n and discovered that non of the family member nor relations of the late pe=
rson is aware of this account. This is the story in a nutshell. Now I want =
an account overseas where the bank will transfer this funds. Thereafter, I =
had planned to destroy all related documents for this account. It is a care=
ful network and for the past eleven months I have worked out everything to =
ensure a hitch-free operation. The amount is not so much at the moment and =
plus all the accumulated=A0 interest the balance in this account stands at-=
(US$ 20.5 million US dollars).=20
=A0
Now our questions are:
1. Can you handle this project?
2. Can I give you this trust?
3. What will be your commission?=20
=A0
Consider this and get back at me as soon as possible. Finally, it is my hum=
ble prayer that the information as contained herein be accorded the necessa=
ry attention, urgency as well as the secrecy it deserves. I Expect your urg=
ent response if you can handle this project.=20
=A0
Respectfully yours,
MR.IBRAHIM ABA,
Chief Auditor
(ECOWAS BANK LTD) =0A=0A=0A

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam