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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
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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:
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <mrahmedhassan2@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:41:39 +0000
Subject: =?windows-1256?Q?PLEASE_RESPOND_URGENTLY.=FE?=




Greetings!!!
I am Mr.Ahmed Hassan from Burkina faso. I am contacting you in a business that will be of benefit to both of us.I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of $11.3million to your account.

This money has been here in our Bank lying dormant for years now without nobody coming for the claim of it.I want to release the money to you as the relative to our deceased customer Mrs .Joyce Lake (the account owner) who died a long with her supposed next of kin since 31 January 2000.You can confirm the genuineness of the business by visiting this web site: http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/

The Banking laws here does not allow such money to stay more than 8 years,because the money will be recalled to the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund, that is the reason why i want to release the money to you as her relative so we can use it to secure the future of our both families.

By indicating your interest I will send you the full details on how the business will be executed. Please keep this proposal as a top secret and delete if you are not interested.

Best wishes to you and your family.

Mr.Ahmed Hassan.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam