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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.

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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)
  • "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)
  • "confidentiality of this transaction" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Collins Oforma" <collins445oforma@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mr_collinsoforma04@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:26:44 +0000
Subject: I Read About You.....


*Dear Friend, *
*Having read from international news, I understood that due to betrayals of
trust from some deceiptful individuals, it is difficult these days for one
to listen or even pay attention to e-mail mostly from africa.
Sincerely speaking, this had been a burden and worrysome for to write this
message to you long ago, wonderring what you will think when receives this
message from me while we have not met me before.*
**
*I am Mr.Collins Oforma,and works with a Security and Finance house
"Equitorial Security Sarl "E.S.S.L.T in Togo, with the position of the
manager auditing and foreign bills section of international banking
servicesincluding deposits trust and company management,a subsidiary
of Ecowas
Monetry Union (E.M.U.) with head office in **Lome Togo**. i am contacting
you in confidence believing that you are matured in business and can keep
confidentiality of this transaction until a successful line is drawn.*

*However is not mandatory nor will i in any manner compel you to honour
against your will,here in this company existed a deposit for the past 5
years, belonging to Late Mr. Max Kavanagh of **Australia**, with account
NO. 0002135468975/ecobank/tg. Who was among the Eighty Eight(88) Australian
victims of 12th October 2002 **Bali** Bombing, out of 202 fatalities. To
confirm the incident click this site below: **
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Bali_bombing*<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Bali_bombing>
**
**
*When I discovered that non of his relatives came for this deposit, I
decided to carry out a system investigation and discovered that non of the
family member nor relations of the late person is aware of this deposit.
This is the story in a nutshell.*
**
*Now I want someone from overseas(mostly one residing in Australia) who
will be presented to the company as the bonafide next of kin so that this
fund will be transfered on his name, thereafter,I had planned to destroy all
related documents for this deposit. It is a careful network and for the past
eleven months I have worked out everything to ensure a hitch-free
operation. The deposit is intact and stands at-(US$14.5M) fourteen million
five hundred thousand united states dollars,what is needed now is foreigner
then i will furnish you with related information to back-up this claim
successfully. *
**
*Now my questions are:-
1. Can you handle this project?
2. Can I give you this trust?
3. What will be your commission? If you can handle this transfer with me. *
**
*Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible.Finally, it is our
humble prayer that the information as contained herein be accorded the
necessary attention, urgency as well as the secrecy it deserves. *
**
*Please for our subsiquent communication and contacts kindly send me the
following when replying :*
*Your private telephone and fax numbers
Contact address
Your full names*
**
*You shall also open an empty/blank Bank account which shall have no money
on it to avoid conflict between I and you and to prove my utmost honesty and
sincerity,this is where this fund shall be transfered into before
disbursment and sharing between both of us.*
**
*I expect your urgent response if you can handle this project,send me an
email for confirmation. *
**
*Respectfully yours,
Mr.Collins Oforma.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam