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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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.

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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "the consignment" (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)
  • "million us 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)
  • "million 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)
• 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.
  • mrdavidmark87@yahoo.ca (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr David Mark <mrdavidmark87@yahoo.ca>
Reply-To: mrdavid.mark8@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 10:28:06 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Business Assistance please


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: mrdavidmark87@yahoo.ca

Business Assistance please



- Dear Sir/Madam, My Name is Mr. David Mark, managing director of Diamond Security & Storage Company here in Accra, Ghana. In my department, I discovered an abandoned consignment worth over the sum of US$12 million dollars (Twelve Million US Dollars)in file that belongs to our foreign customer, LATE MR.ANDREAS SCHRANNER from Munich-Germany who died along with his entire family in July 2000 in a plane crash. Below is a website which I will appreciate you going through to read the information. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm since then, I have made several inquiries to locate any of his extended relatives but all effort has proved abortive. The reason why I am contacting you is based on trust to enable me present you as the next-of-kin to him so this consignment will be released to you for safety and subsequent disbursement. Nobody has come to our company for claiming of the consignment. It will be easy to convince the company since I am in possession of the necessary legalized documents that back-up the consignment and which will present you as the rightful next-of-kin to the deceased customer. I don't want this consignment to go into company's treasury as unclaimed bill. The company laws and guidelines stipulate that if such consignment remains unclaimed after eight years, the company will confiscate it. The request for a foreigner as ext-of-kin in this transaction is occasioned by the fact that late ANDREAS was a foreigner and any indigene cannot stand as next-of-kin to a foreigner. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Agreed that 25% of this money will be for you as a respect to the provision of your assistance,5% will be set aside for expenses incurred during the transaction, another 5% to help the less privilege and to assist the charity organizations here in Africa and abroad while the rest 65% will be for me.Thereafter,I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentage indicated.Therefore,to enable the immediate release of this consignment, you must apply to the company as the relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your complete information ,complete name, postal address, occupation, your private telephone and fax number for easy and effective communication and location where the consignment will be released to. Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of the application you will send to the company to seek the release of the consignment to you. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any fear as all required arrangements have been made. You should contact me as soon as you receive this mail. My email Or you can send your number for me to call you. Trusting to hear from you immediately for more detailed discussion.Regards,Mr David Mark Managing Director, Diamond Security & Storage Company Accra, Ghana.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam