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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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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (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. )
  • "economic and financial crime commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Franklin Hooks" <franklinhks277@googlemail.com>
Reply-To: franklinehooks@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:48:57 +0100
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION


Dear Friend,

Forgive this unusual manner of contacting you, but this particular letter is
of exceptional and very private nature. There is absolutely going to be a
great doubt and distrust in your heart in respect of this email, coupled
with the fact that, so many miscreants have taken possession of the Internet
to facilitate their nefarious deeds, thereby making it extremely difficult
for genuine people to get attention and recognition I am Mr., Franklin
Hooks; an oil contractor. I have a profitable and risk free business to
discus with you which involve transferring of fund directly into your
account.

This fund is currently under the care of a security company in Ghana, since
I do not have any relation abroad, In course of protecting my wealth I have
no other choice than to contact you for a brotherly help to move out this
money from the security volt because the ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIME
COMMISSION (EFCC) is suspecting and investigating my local account.

If you sincerely and wish to share with me in this profitable transaction, I
will need some personal confidential information without delay, your full
names , telephone # and address In other to put up some relevant document
like the letter of change of ownership that will put you in place as the
beneficiary of this ($12,025,000:) U.S $.

The agreement is that you have every right to invest the funds in any
business of your choice for a period of ten years and you will be entitled
to Fifty percent of the profit for the said period enable me sort myself
out with the government. You should put your feet up after the ten years and
you will come down to Thirty percent of the profits while the rest remains
my own. Please get back to me for a way forward.

Have a nice thinking and God Bless; wait to hear from you soonest.
Franklin Hooks

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam