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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "first national bank" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million pounds" (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)
  • "confidentiality of this transaction" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• 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.
  • +27785725444 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "ASPER MIKEL" <asper19@torba.com>
Reply-To: aspermikel_fnb@msn.com
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:25:16 -0700
Subject: VERY CONFIDENTIAL PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR YOU.


FROM: MR. ASPER MIKEL.
AN EXTERNAL AUDITOR (FNB BANK PLC).
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA.
Tel: +27 78 572 5444.
Email: *aspermikel_fnb@msn.com* <aspermikel_fnb@msn.com><asper.mikel2@msn.com>


GOOD DAY,

*REQUEST FOR £21 M. GBP FUND TRANSFER.*


Is my Pleasure writing to you at this moment of the day, I am Mr. Asper
Mikel holder of British Passport in charge of external auditing and
accounting Unit of First National Bank of South Africa I and my colleagues
deem it fit to contact you regarding to a transaction that will favor both
of us at the end, and I got your contact in my search for a reputable and
reliable person to help me claim the fund in question.

We discovered the sum of Twenty One Million Pounds (£21.000.000, 00)
belonging to a deceased customer of this bank. The fund has been lying in a
suspense account without anybody coming to put claim over the money since
the account owner late Deceased Customer, who was involved in the December
25th plane crash. Here is the air crash *
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html*<http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html>
The said fund is now ready for transfer to a foreign account whose owner
will be portrayed as the beneficiary and next of kin to the deceased
customer of the bank. Since one of names bears the same name with this
deceased customer you can easily make this deal with us, we will assist you
to get the information of the deceased customer that will assist you to get
every proof document which will help you to execute this money.

The foreign account owner will impost himself as the next of kin to the
deceased and respond positively like a true next of kin who wishes to speed
up the release and transfer of his inherited fund. If the over due fund if
not claimed by the end of next quarter, the government of the South
Africawill take over the ownership of the fund in line with the
Federal Edict Act
of 1979.We do not want the government to take over the ownership of this
money, that is why I contacted you for us to do the deal together, so that
we will portray you as the bonafide next of kin to the Deceased Customer .If
you accept to carry out this project with us, we will offer you 30% of the
total sum, while I and my colleagues involved will take 70% of the total
sum. Upon your acceptance to do this deal with us, we will jointly effect
the transfer within seven working days.

Be rest assured that, this transaction carries no risk and no extra
responsibilities on your part, except the above mentioned roles and normally
you will be required to maintain absolute information and absolute secrecy
throughout the duration of this transaction, because discussing it with a
third party might jeopardize the entire transaction.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us seeing this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you and me from any breach of the law.

Note, I recommend that you send your response together with to my most
private email: *aspermikel_fnb@msn.com* <aspermikel_fnb@msn.com> for
confidential reasons and because of my position here in the Bank. Also send
to me your most private telephone number to enable me call you for more
explanation if the need arises.
Thank you and have a blessed day.


I implore you to maintain the absolute confidentiality of this transaction.

Your earliest response is urgently awaited.

Best Regard,
Mr. Asper Mikel.
Tel: +27 78 572 5444.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam