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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
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• 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:

• 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)
  • "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • "million 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)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • samuelokafor100@yahoo.es (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • samuel_okafor100@walla.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?SAMUEL=20OKAFOR?= <samuelokafor100@yahoo.es>
Reply-To: samuel_okafor100@walla.com
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:12:42 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Good Day


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a: samuelokafor100@yahoo.es



- SAMUEL CHAMBERS, LEGAL PRACTITIONER AND PUBLIC NOTARY & HIGH COURT REPRESENTATIVE SUITE 202 OMEGA PLAZA, APAPA LAGOS - NIGERIA.Email:samuel_okafor100@walla.com (MATTER OF TOP SECRET) Dear Friend,I am Barrister. Samuel okafor, the Personal Attorney to a Foreign Contractor, who worked with a MultinationalOil Firm in Scotland, United Kingdom. On the 11th of September 2001, my client, a Mexican National, late Carlos Montoya, an oil Merchant with the United Kingdom, until his death Five years ago in a ghastly terrorist attack to american airlines flight 11, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre with 92 people on board. All occupants of the Aeroplane unfortunately lost their lives. Since then I have made several inquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful.After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet, to locate any member of his family but of no avail, hence I contacted you.I have contacted you to assist me in repatriating the money left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank where this huge deposits were lodged. Particularly, the Bank where the deceased had an account valued at about US$12.5 million dollars has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next twenty official working days. since I have been unsuccessful in locating the the relatives for over Four years now I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at $12.5million dollars can be paid to you and then you and I can share this money. 70% to me and 25% to you,while 5% should be for expenses or tax as your government may require, I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through.I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me via email as soon as you get this mail to enable us discuss on the modalities and process for success of this transaction. I also request for your private telephone number, fax number for easy and more confidential communication. Through only my alternative mailbox for security reasons which is (samuel_okafor100@walla.com) I await your kind response, Good day and God bless. Best regards, Barrister Samuel.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam