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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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)
  • "this business is hitch free " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "timothy martins" <martins.timothy1@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2008 06:38:34 -0700
Subject: RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED


FROM MR TIMOTHY MARTINS
MANAGER CREDIT AND FOREIGN BILLS DEPT
GROUP BANK OF AFRICA PLC.(BOA)
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC.

DEAR FRIEND,

I AM THE MANAGER, CREDIT AND FOREIGN BILLS OF GROUP BANK OF AFRICA(BOA). I
AM WRITING IN RESPECT OF A FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF MY BANK WITH ACCOUNT NUMBER
14-2551004/BOA/T WHO PERISHED IN A AF4590 CRASH- GERMAN CONCORDE WITH THE
WHOLE PASSENGERS ON BOARD.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/default.stm

SINCE THE DESMISAL OF THIS OUR CUSTOMER, I PERSONALLY HAS WATCHED WITH KEEN
INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED ABORTIVE AS NO ONE HAS
COME TO CLAIM HIS FUNDS OF $26,500.000.USD, [TWENTY SIXMILLION FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSANDUNITED STATES DOLLARS] WHICH HAS BEEN WITH MY BRANCH FOR A VERY LONG
TIME. ON THIS NOTE, I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR WHOM HIS NAME SHALL BE USED AS THE
NEXT OF KIN AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO BE THE NEXT OF KIN.AND THE BANKING
ETHICS HERE DOESNOT ALLOW SUCH MONEY TO STAY MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, BECAUSE
MONEY WILL BE RECALLED TO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED AFTER THIS PERIOD.

IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH A TRADE JOURNAL IF YOU CAN STAND
AS NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED. I WILL GIVE YOU 30% OF THE TOTAL. UPON THE
RECEIPT OF YOUR RESPONSE, I WILL SEND YOU BY E-MAIL THE APPLICATION, BANK'S
FAX NUMBER AND THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS BUSINESS IS HITCH FREE AND
THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR AS ALL MODALITIES FOR FUND TRANSFER
CAN BE FINALIZED WITHIN FIVE BANKING DAYS, AFTER YOU APPLY TO THE BANK AS A
RELATION TO THE DECEASED. WHEN YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER. KINDLY SEND ME AN
E-MAIL SIGNIFYING YOUR DECISION INCLUDING YOUR PRIVATE TEL/FAX NUMBERS FOR
QUICK COMMUNICATION

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED

TIMOTHY MARTINS

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam