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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • "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)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • drgodwinoboh_2007@yahoo.com.br

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: dr_godwin_oboh_01@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:36:15 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: DEAREST FRIEND


Meu novo endereço de e-mailAgora você pode me contactar através do e-mail: drgodwinoboh_2007@yahoo.com.br



- Compliment of the seasons!Permit me to introduce myself, my name is Dr Godwin Oboh, I work with Union Bank Plc as an Accountant. In the discharge of my duty, I came on this domiciliary account that has remained dormant for some years now with our bank valued at the sum of US$10.300M (Ten Million Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) I made some inquiries and discovered that the account holder died on the 25th of July 2000 with his wife and their two Children in the Air France concord plane crash bound for New York in their plan for a world cruise.I am writing you so that we can work together to remit the money to you as the next of kin because this money belong to a foreigner and has to be claimed by a foreigner. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by the deceased before the Bank where this huge Deposit was lodged declares them unserviceable. The Bank has issued me a notice as the Accountant to the Deceased to provide the Next of Kin or have the fund declared as an unclaimed fund within the Next 30 official working days.Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 5 years now that I have been searching. I seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin to the Deceased since you are a foreigner like him so that the proceeds of this Bank Account can be paid out in your favor. before the transfer can be made. You will be compensated with 20% of the total fund on final conclusion of this project, while the rest shall be for me. Your share stays with you while the rest shall be for us for investment purposes in your country.I wait for your urgent reply so that we can proceed with the proper documentation of the transfer to your favor through legal processes. Best Regards,Dr Godwin Oboh

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam