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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:
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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "huge deposit" (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 us 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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: =?utf-8?q?Joshua=20Ubaka?= <joshuaubaka01@yahoo.com.co>
Reply-To: joshouaub1@post.ro
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:35:59 -0800 (PST)
Subject: FOR YOUR ATTENTION.


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:joshuaubaka01@yahoo.com.co



- Dear Sir/Madam, I am an Account Officer ,My name is Joshua Ubaka,a Banker. I am the personal Account Manager to a,National of your country, who used to work with an Oil servicing Firm in Nigeria. my client On April 21, 2002 my client, was involved in a car accident All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my client's extended Relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and property left behind by my client before they Get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge deposits were lodged, particularly . Where the deceased had an account Valued at about ($10 million us dollars) has Issued me a notice to provide the next of kin Or have the account confiscated within the next ten official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 3 years now. I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased so that this account valued at ($ 10 million us dollars) can be paid to you . The sharing modality is till open and negociatable. An attorney will be contracted to help revalidate and notarize all the necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me . Regards Joshua Ubaka

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam