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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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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)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Info Data <attn86@msn.com>
Reply-To: <wilyjames@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:06:22 +0000
Subject:



The MoundEdinburgh, Lothian EH1 1YZUnited Kingdom.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Mr.James Willy, born in Santa Cruz in the southern province of Sao Tome & Principe and now a citizen of United Kingdom. I was a former member of the (audit ad-hoc committee) Petroleum Oversight Commission, National Petroleum Agency of Sao Tome and Principe. I am presently in London working as a group chief external auditor (Designate); Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS).In 2007, Halifax emerged as the only UK bank to launch a dormant accounts reunification scheme. I offer you my sincere and heartfelt apology if my communication falls short of your personal or business ethics. I solicit for your assistance in a classified matter arising from an unclaimed deposit currently in a dormant savings account which was discovered during our 2008 end of the year audit.HBOS has approximately £50 million in dormant accounts,relating to around 110,000 customers account Of this total,around £44 million is held in HBOS accounts. These accounts have been inactive for at least 10 years and many no longer have the correct address,so contact with customers have been lost. I will give you all the neccessary information you might need to claim part of the unclaimed funds as one of the beneficiary with legal claims; all legal back up documents will be carefully worked out to ensure a risk-free process. Feel free to reply back with your full names, contact telephone number for further information on funds claim . Sincerely yours, Mr.James Willy, Group External Auditor. (Designate)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam