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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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• 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2347036343889
• 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.
  • ernest.gov@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2008 20:26:59 -0800
Subject: RE. IMMEDIATE PAYMENT ORDER.


CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
TINUBU SQUARE LAGOS-NIGERIA.
FROM THE DESK OF: DR ERNEST.I.EBI
DIRECTOR OF FOREIGN PAYMENT,
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (C.B.N)
TEL: +234-70-363-438-89
OUR REF: CBN/IRD/CBX/021/08.

ATTN: BENEFICIARY.

RE. IMMEDIATE PAYMENT ORDER.

THIS IS TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR OVER DUE CONTRACT/INHERITANCE/LOTTERY
WINNING
FUNDS HAS FINALLY BEEN GAZZETED TO BE RELEASED, VIA KEYTELEX TRANSFER(KTT)/
DIRECT WIRE TRANSFER TO YOU BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN OVER DUE
CONTRACT/INHERITTANCE FUND.
THIS PAYMENT HAS BEEN APPROVED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO YOU WITHIN THE
NEXT 4 WORKING DAY UPON CONFIRMATION OF THIS MESSAGE WITH YOUR DETAILS.


MEANWHILE,A WOMAN CAME TO MY OFFICE FEW DAYS AGO WITH A LETTER,CLAIMING TO
BE YOUR TRUE REPRESENTATIVE. SHE SAID THAT YOU HAVE ASKED HER TO REPRESENT
YOU IN CLAIMING THE FUNDS ON YOUR BEHALF.HERE IS THE INFORMATION SHE
FORWARDED
FOR THE TRANSFER OF YOUR PAYMENT:

NAME JANET T. WHITE
BANK NAME: CITI BANK
BANK ADDRESS: ARIZONA, USA.
ACCOUNT Number: 6503809428

PLEASE,DO RECONFIRM TO THIS OFFICE,AS A MATTER OF URGENCY IF THIS WOMAN IS
FROM YOU SO THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR
PAYING INTO THE WRONG ACCOUNT NAME. IF THIS WOMAN IS NOT YOUR REP, YOU ARE
REQUESTED TO RECOMFIRM YOUR INFORMATION! BY FILLING THE SPACES BELLOW AND
FOR VERIFICATIONS PURPOSES SO THAT YOUR FUND VALID FOR (US$15,000,000,000)
FIFTEEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS WILL BE REMITTED INTO YOUR NOMINATED
BANK ACCOUNT. THIS FUND IS AS A RESULT OF OUR CONTRACT/INHERITTANCE PAYMENT.


FROM OUR RECORD, WE FOUND OUT THAT YOU WERE EMPLOYED BY SOMEONE TO STAND
AS A PARTNER TO CLAIM THIS SAID FUND WHICH IS NOW APPROVEDIN YOUR NAME.


1. YOUR NAME:.............
2. COMPANY'S NAME:.........
3. YOUR ADDRESS:...............
4. YOUR TEL:..................
5. FAX:............


AS SOON AS WE RECIEVE YOUR RESPONSE AND THE CONFIRMATION, WE WILL COMMENCE
WITH ALL NECCESSARY PROCEEDURES IN OTHER TO REMMIT THIS MONEY INTO YOUR
ACCOUNT
OR THAT OF YOUR REPRESENTIVE.


I,THE CENTRAL BANK REPRESENTATIVE,THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE
SENATE COMMITTEE FOR FOREIGN OVERDUE CONTRACT/INHERITTANCE PAYMENT HAVE
APPROVED
AND ACCREDITED THIS REPUTABLE BANK WITH THE OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR,INTERNATIONAL
REMITTANCE / FOREIGN OPERATIONS,TO HANDLE ANDTRANSFER ALL FOREIGN CONTRACT
PAYMENT IN THE LIST OF THIS THIRD QUARTER PAYMENT OF THE YEAR.


HOWEVER,WE SHALL PROCEED TO ISSUE ALL PAYMENTS DETAILS TO THE SAID
MRS.WHITE,IF
WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU WITHIN THE NEXT 2 WORKING DAYS FROM TODAY. WE ARE
SORRY FOR ANY INCOVINENCES AND DELAY IN TRANSFERING OF THESE FUNDS MUST HAVE
CAUSED YOU.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,


DR. ERNEST.I.EBI
DIRECTOR OF FOREIGN PAYMENT,
GOVERNOR CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN).
CC: THE NIGERIAN SENATE COMITTEE.
CC: BOARD OF DIRECTOR (FPD).
CC: FEDERAL MINITRY OF FINANCE.
CC: ACCOUNTANT GENERAL OF NIGERIA.
CC: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Emai:ernest.gov@hotmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam