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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• 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.

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:
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "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)
• 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.
  • mrs.joymartins@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs Joy Martins" <mrs.joymartins01@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 17:16:46 -0700
Subject: Re: DO THIS IMMEDIATELY


Dear Sir,

I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise. I am Mrs. Joy
Martins being the Sales-manager in a Company that produces Oil. I Hope that
you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that i am about to
Repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both parties.

I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of $10.6 million
Immediately to your account. The money has been dormant for years in the
Bank here without any body coming for it.

I want to release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased
customer(the owner Of the account) who died along with his supposed next
of kin in an air Crash since July 2007.

I don't want the money to go into Bank treasury as an abandoned fund.

So this is the reason why i contacted you, so that the bank can release
the money to you as the nearest person to the deceased customer. Please i
will like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete if you are
not interested.

Upon receipt of your reply, I will send you full details on how the
Business will be executed and also note that you will have 25% of the above
mentioned sum if you agree to transact the business with me. And you can
reply me from this Email address: mrs.joymartins@yahoo.com

Thanks,

Yours faithfully,

Mrs. Joy Martins

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam