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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
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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:
  • "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "hundred thousand u.s 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)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: =?utf-8?q?Frank=20Duke?= <frankduke_010@yahoo.in>
Reply-To: frankduke_03@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 08:22:23 +0530 (IST)
Subject: PLEASE URGENT REPLY


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: frankduke_010@yahoo.in

WEST AFRICA MONETARY UNIT

- Dear beneficiary, this message is from WEST AFRICA MONETARY UNIT .It has come to our knowledge that you have not received your payment till now. We kindly write to notify you that any fund transferred out of West Africa and its sub-region above U.S$500,000,00 (Five hundred thousand U.S dollars)or its equivalent without clearance from WEST AFRICA MONETARY UNIT(WAMU) shall be termed illegal.The paying bank or security company and also the beneficiary of such payment shall be prosecuted accordingly.This is the reason why you have not received your payment because you have not received this clearance from us which will enable your funds released to you within 48 hrs you secure WAMU clearance. This is a regulation to fight against terrorism, Money laundering and drug trafficking and any other related financial offence and to sanitize money market around the globe and within West African Sub-region. We hereby advise you beneficiary to apply for your clearance today and STOP f!
urther delaying your payment .We wait your quick respond so that we send a form which you will fill and return to back to our office to enable process and issue you the necessary clearance which is authorization to complete your payment.Dr.Frank Duke (chairman WAMU)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam