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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "might come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "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 next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "J.A Williams" <ja_williams008@msn.com>
Reply-To: jumbo_williams585@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:11:02 +0000
Subject: Helloo..

Dear Friend,

I guess this letter might come to you as a surprise since I had no previous
correspondence with you, But with due respect I got your contact from the
internet in my research for a reliable and trustworthy person who will be
fit and capable to assist me in handling a very confidential business
transaction involving the transfer of US75 million dollars only. The above
fund is not connected with arms, drugs or Money laundering; neither is it
related to any terrorist sponsor of any sort.

I am Mr. J. A Williams, an accountant and a branch manager. The Board
members with the office of the Director, International Remittances/Foreign
Operation, has approved and accredited this reputed bank to handle and
transfer all foreign inheritance funds this final quota of the year.During
the course of my annual general auditing, I discovered a domiciliary account
that has not been operated, for three years I have kept this secret within
myself. Now, I decided to seek your full co-operation and partnership to
move out these funds urgently. Hence; the dormant nature of the account and
without any traceable next of kin, if I do not remit the funds out urgently,
the account will be confiscated and the funds will be re-channeled into the
government purse to be shared among themselves.

All I need from you is to stand as the beneficiary to this dormant account
and to provide either an existing bank account or set up a new Bank account
immediately to receive this fund or you help to seek an honest and reliable
businessman who can assist us. I am only contacting you as a foreigner
because these funds cannot be approved for a local account here and I am not
supposed to be in possession of such amount of dollars. But the funds can
only be approved to any foreigner whom I present as the beneficiary to the
funds.

I will use my position in the Bank to do all the underground work and hasten
the approval and release of the funds in your favor. I will be monitoring
the whole situation here in this bank until you confirm the funds in your
account and ask me to come over to your country for our subsequent sharing
of the fund according by percentages. This transaction will only take us 14
Banking days to finalize. So do not border or entertain any atom of fears as
all modalities has been mapped out for us achieve success and this is my 15
yrs in the banking industry.

At the successful completion of the transaction, You shall be compensated
with 35% of the funds for standing in as the beneficiary while 5% will be
mapped out to offset any expenses that might arise in the course of the
transfer, 10% will be channeled to charity and 50% to me the originator of
the Business.

I suggest we meet face to face to get acquainted, as the funds in question
are a large one before we commence with the transfer. I need your full
co-operation to make this work fine, as I will use my office to see that the
transaction is hitch free and will destroy entire documents relating to the
transaction once we conclude the Deal. Please, you have been advice to keep
"top secret" for now as I am still in service and intend to retire after we
conclude this deal.

Further details about this transaction will be discussed in the subsequent
correspondence.

I look forward to your earliest reply.

Best regards,
J.A Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam