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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • ",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)
• 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.
  • +27738500099 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:10:51 +0100
Subject: From. Mr John Taharka



Dear Sir/madam,

I am Mr John Taharka, a staff ofone of the leading
banks in South Africa I am writing asking for your indulgence in re-profi=
ling
funds,which we want to keep under your supervision.=20
=C2=A0
The Funds totaling ($15,000,000.00)
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this fund can not be appr=
oved to
a local Bank here,because the funds are in US Dollars.


belonging to one Mr. Morris Thompson, an American
nationality, a businessman based in Johannesburg South Africa and
London in UK.=C2=A0 he died since 2000. In an air crash along his wife &
Daughter on 31/01/2000.

You can confirm from this website

=C2=A0
If you are interested forward to me your names, Phone/fax number
so I can contact you.
=C2=A0
Regards.
Mr John Taharka
+27-73-850-0099
=C2=A0
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/
Noother person knows about this account or anything
concerning it and the account has no other beneficiary. The Strategy is
to use our influenceas Managers/directors of the bank to approve the fund=
s
to you.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam