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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million british pounds" (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)
  • ",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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "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.
• 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.
  • +447035940381 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • postbus.alliance@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Jeffrey Stunner" <stunnejeffrey3@msn.com>
Reply-To: <postbus.alliance@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:53:16 +0000
Subject: My name is Mr. Jeffrey Stunner



My name is Mr. Jeffrey Stunner

The bank manager of Alliance & Leicester Bank Plc, London United Kingdom.

I am sure that my letter must come to you by surprise based on the fact that you and I have not met each other before, but I want to let you know that it takes only a day for two people to know their selves either physically or by correspondence.

I got your email contact through my personal search through the internet and I am contacting you for a confidential transaction that will heavily benefit both of us at the end. As the bank manager of Alliance & Leicester Bank Plc, I discovered a dormant account in my bank and the account has never been operated for 9 years and some months now.

>From my inquiry about the fund, I found out that the owner of the account was involved in a plane crash, which took lives of number of people including his wife and his only son and none of his relatives knows about this money.

The owner of the fund was a citizen of Russian Federation Global Oil marketer. Now I want you to stand as the next of kin to the late person so that the £45,000,000.00 (Forty Five Million British Pounds) will be transferred to your bank account after which you and I will share the money 50% to each. I have all the deposit documents of the fund and with my position as the Bank manager I can make you the beneficiary of the fund. All I need is your full cooperation.

This transaction is 100% risk free because I will provide you with all the information that will necessitate the release of the fund to your account. I am given you full assurance that the money will be released to you as long as you give me full cooperation.

As soon as you indicate your interest to cooperate with me, I will give you more information. Call me on my phone for discussion Tel: +44 7035940381.

Mr. Jeffrey Stunner
The Bank Manger
Alliance & Leicester Bank Plc,
London, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 7035940381
postbus.alliance@yahoo.com.hk

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam