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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "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)
  • "cotonou" (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.
  • musalim_105@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Musa Limson" <musalim_105@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 20:58:32 +0300 (IDT)
Subject: Very Important Information!


FROM MR. MUSA LIMSON
ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING DEPT MANAGER,
AFRICA DEVELOPMENT BANK BENIN-COTONOU,
REPUBLIC OF BENIN.WEST AFRICA.
Alt. E-mail: musalim_105@hotmail.com


Very Important Information!

I am Mr. Musa Limson the manager of Accounting and
Auditing dept at the AFRICA DEVELOPMENT BANK BENIN
REPUBLIC. I am writing following the impressive
information about you through an Internet business
proposal. In my department I discovered an abandoned
sum of $12.7Million US dollars in an account that
belongs to one of our foreign customer from your
country Dr. Arthur A.Kim, who died along with his
entire family in 26/December/2004 IN THE TSUNAMI
EARTQUAKE DISASTER. Read the full article on the
website:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/206097_mccumber01.html

Since we got information about his death, we have
been expecting his next of kin to come over and
claim his money because we can not release it unless
somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation
to the decease as indicated in our banking
guidelines and laws, but unfortunately I learnt that
all his supposed next of kin or relation died along
side with him at the earth quake leaving no body
behind for the claim. It is therefore upon this
discovery that I decided to make this business
proposal to you and so that the bank will release
the money to you as the next of kin or relation to
the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement
since nobody is coming for it and I don't want this
money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed
bill.

The banking law and guideline here stipulates that
if such money remained unclaimed after Five years,
the money will be transferred into the bank treasure
as unclaimed fund. The request of a foreigner as
next of kin in this business is occasioned by the
fact that the customer was a foreigner and a
Beninois cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.
I agree that 40% of this money will be for you as a
foreign partner, in respect to the provision of a
foreign account, 10% will be set aside for expenses
incurred during the business and 50% will be for me.
There after I will visit your country for
disbursement according to the percentages indicated.

Therefore, to enable the immediate transfer of this
fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to the
bank as relation or next or kin of the deceased
indicating your bank name, your bank account, your
private telephone and fax number for easy and
effective communication and location where in the
money will be remitted.

I will draft to you by fax or email the text of the
application which you will use to open communication
with the bank and it their response is favourable we
will follow the instruction of the procedure. I will
not fail to bring to your notice that this business
is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any
atom of fear as all required arrangements have been
made for the transfer.


Send to me the following information if you are
honest, reliable and interested for this
transaction:

1} FULL NAME.....
2} YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS.....
3} AGE AND OCCUPATION......
4} DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER/FAX.....

Upon the receipt of the above info i will proceed
further with the necessary documentation to effect
the transfer.

Trusting to hear from you immediately.
Yours faithfully,
Mr. Musa Limson

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam