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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "diplomatic immunity"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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. )
  • "a security company " (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. )
  • "the consignment" (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)
  • "trunk box" (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)
  • "here in united kingdom" (this email uses bad English)
  • "diplomatic immunity" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: john olds <johnolds39@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: johnolds2@post.ro
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:45:58 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Dear Friend,


Barrister JOHN OLDS.
45 Victoria Crescent
London N15 5LP
H/P;+44 7795695508.
10th JAN. 2009.
Dear Friend,

Please pardon the abruptness of this letter; it is due to its
urgency.This letter is personal, intimate and confidential. There will
absolutely be great doubt and distrust in your heart in respect of this
Email, coupled with the fact that so many miscreants have taken
possession of the Internet to facilitate their nefarious deeds, hereby
making it extremely difficult for genuine purposes.

There is no other way for me to know whether I will be properly
understood, but I have to reach out to someone. For I know that there
will be One that can be trusted. I got your data from an International
People Search Bulletin While searching for whom to assist in this
mutual business.

My name is Barrister John Olds, an attorney at law here in
London-England. I have a deceased client who has lived and worked here
in United Kingdom since 1989, whom here-in-after shall be referred to
as my client, lost his life on the 2nd of July, 2000. In a plane crash
involving a Russian Jet liner and a Cargo Plane over southern Germany,
unfortunately? his wife and children also died in the plane crash. You
may wish to read more about the=2
0incident on the
following websites;
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/07/01/plane.collision/

Before his death, he deposited One Trunk Box/Diplomatic Personal
Treasure, containing the sum of $10.45M (TEN MILLION FOUR HUNDRED AND
FIFTY THOUSAND US DOLLARS) with a security company of which name and
location will be given on your reply, but he did not disclose the
content of the deposited diplomatic consignment to the security
company, for security reasons. The security company has mandated me to
present any family heir/inheritor for claims, before the
consignment gets confiscated or reverts to the Bureau of Diplomatic
Security, as unclaimed diplomatic immunity.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for some years
now I seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin of the
deceased since you have the same last name. So that the proceeds of
this funds valued at $10.45M (TEN MILLION FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY
THOUSAND US DOLLARS) can be paid to you and then you and me can share
the money 50% to me and 40% to you and 10% will be set aside for any
expenses incurred during this transaction. I have all necessary legal
documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make.
 
Information needed are as follows:
[1] Name: ________________________________
[2] Address: ____________________________
[3] Age: _________________________________
[4] Sex: _________________________________
[5] Telephone: __________
[6] Fax: _________________________________
[7] Occupation status: __________________

All I require is your honest co-operation 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 do
reply me as soon as receive this mail so that we proceed.

Best Regards
John Olds (ESQ)
 

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam