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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "million united states 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)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • judeezeezeeze@googlemail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "jude eze" <judeezeezeezebvb@googlemail.com>
Reply-To: judeezeezeeze@googlemail.com
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:42:26 +0100
Subject: urgent


Dear Sir/Madam

My name is Mr. Jude Eze; a Manager at United Bank for Africa , (UBA)
Apapa Branch Lagos-Nigeria. I came across your contact information on
web while searching for investment options overseas. I am an account
officer to one Mr. Morris Thompson a customer in my branch. Mr. Thompson
was a consultant in Chevron Petroleum Company here in Lagos and has a
Fixed Deposit of Three Million United States Dollars {US$3,000,000.00}
with our bank to run for a period of 6 years from 1999 to 2005. As a
matter of fact, I was directly in charge of his account because he
requested that he wants me as the bank manager to be directly responsible
for
his account and for that reason, he entrusted most of his banking
documents in my care for safe-keep in our strong room.

However, Mr. Thompson left Nigeria some years back and did not come
back. I tried to locate him after several months only to discover that he
went to Mexico for a vacation with his wife and daughter and
unfortunately lost their life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight
261
which crashed on 31st January 2000. You may read more about the crash on
visiting the site below which I got during my investigation
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/

My purpose of contacting you is that the fixed deposit has matured but
no one to stand for the claim and now the bank has mandated me as the
bank manager/his account officer to provide any of his relative to stand
for the claim within two months since the depositor died with his wife
whom he indicated as his next of kin in the crash. To this effect, I
have decided to link anybody to stand as Mr. Thompson's next of kin in
order to claim this money since it is obvious that the bank did not know
any of his relative. If you accept to stand as Mr. Thompson's next of
kin to claim this inheritance, I am willing to split the funds into two
parts, for each of us having an equal share of US$1,500,000.00 (One
Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars)

However, there is no risk involved in this transaction, as I will give
you all information you may need about Mr. Thompson and his banking
relationship with our bank to enable you stand as his next of kin to
receive this money in your account. Note that next of kin can be friends,
business partners, extended relatives and club mates so nationality
cannot be a hindrance provided you meet with all requirements which only
person related to the deceased could be in possession of.

Once you file for the claim, I will do the rest for you in the inside
and get the payment released in your name. Do not be afraid as work in a
branch of this bank and I am in a position to give you reliable
information about late Thompson and his banking relationship with our bank.
I will also employ a lawyer who will follow up all the processes on
your behalf and shall secure all the documents that will confirm you true
next of kin to late Mr. Thompson. I guarantee that this will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any
breach
of the law. I shall be coming over to your country for my share and
investment after the successful completion of this transaction. I am
optimistic that we will conclude this transaction within three weeks upon
your compliance in applying for the claim to our head office. If you are
interested and capable, please get back to me with your private cell phone,
age,
occupation and your address through email.
Reply to judeezeezeeze@googlemail.com
Sincerely,

Mr. Jude Eze

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam