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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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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:
  • "you will take 25%" (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)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <stellamele2@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:12:17 +0000
Subject: I crave your indulgence



Dear,
I crave your indulgence at this mail coming from somebody you have not know before. I decided to do this after praying over the situation.
You should please consider the transaction on its content and not the fact that you have not known me before. I need not dwell on how I came by your contact information because there are many such possibilities these days.
I would like to introduce myself as Mrs. Stella Mele, of Repulic of Benin, widow to Late Mr. Albert Mele (fomer Consular of the Benin Embassy in Madrid, Spain). I have been recently been daigonosed of Cancer of the blood (Leukemia). I am writing from my sick bed.
There is this US$9.8Million my husband has in an account with the EcoBank, Benin of which I am the next of kin. With my health condition and because my husband and I have no children, I am looking for a credible person to whom I will pass the right of next of kin. This person will apply to the bank and request for the transfer of the fund to his/her bank account.
This is on the condition that you will take 25% of the fund for yourself, 5% used for expenses, while you will use the remaining 70% for the less previlege people in the society. This is in fulfilment of the last request of my husband: that a substantial part of the fund be used to carter for the less previleged.
If this condition is acceptable to you, you should contact me immediately with your full names and contact information so that I will ask our family lawyer to prepare the authorization that will give you the right of next of kin to the account in the bank. I will also give you a text of the application you are to send to the bank.
I cannot predict what will be my fate by the time the fund will be transfered into your account, but you should please ensure that the fund is used as i have described above.
I look forward to your response.
Yours,
Mrs. Stella Mele

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam