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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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  (+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:
  • ",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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "abidjan" (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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 22:46:27 +0000
Subject: Dear Respectful,


Dear Respectful,
I am Miss Edna Steven,the only surviving daugther of late Mr.Steven Banny,
truely i don't know you physically but I surmoned courage to rely on you,
beliving you will give attention to it the way you handle your personal
matters, I am writing to you with every respect asking for your assistance
to help me on the issue contained in this letter.

I lost my parents in a ghastly auto accident, However before my Father died,
he was holding a strategic Economic post in our community as the Chairman
ecological compensation panel, this panel was setup when the angry mood (THE
YOUTHS) were agitating for settlement by the shell development Oil company
since the community were forbided to farmer or operate within the Shell
areas of operation.

By now, you will be worried to know why you are concern or why I need your
help, according to my fathers before he died, the Director of Finance and
Supply representing Shell Develoment Oil Company in the effort to
orchestrate a trade agreement, offered my father the sum of $5,650,000.00
while the community were given the sum of $18,000,000.00 against their
demand of $40,000,000.00 for damages incured. The Youths however threatened
to kill My father for allegedly accept the money on behalf of the community
and he was accuse of conspiracy.

This action prompted my father to come to Abidjan as a refugee to sort for a
new brighter live with a good business unfortunately he died in accident
here in Abidjan where I am communicating you, right now, this money
$5,650,000.00 is in a bank and my aim of contacting you, is to help me get
the deposit out of this country to Europe or America where I know we can
make good investment with it other than in Africa where there is political
unrest, riot, crisi and economic distress.

Based on this reasons,I believe I can trust you like i have said before,
Show me your goodwill to give me this assistance so that I can give you
every information concerning the money and the bank where it was deposited
for more clarification, your assistance will be greatly rewarded as soon as
we get the money transfered to your bank account on
my behalf.

I hope to hear from you urgenly.

Yours Faithfully,
Miss Edna Steven

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam