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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Matheo Doekin <oliveratt@ymail.com>
Reply-To: mathdoek@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2009 03:36:45 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Counting on you


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: oliveratt@ymail.com



- Dear Friend, I am Matheo Doekin a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to late Mr. Michael Fuchs, who was a contractor with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Herein after shall be referred to my client. On 3rd January 2004, my client was involved in a plane crash in Egypt with his entire family. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2004/01/03/1019770.htm . Since the death of my client, I personally concluded a successful investigation about him and find out that there is no other person left to inherit this fund. On this note I decided to seek for a foreigner whom his name shall be used as the next of kin to the deceased so that the Finance company will legally transfer the fund to his account without any problem. Perhaps, you may not be biologically related to him but it behooves us to use this opportunity to claim his savings with a Bank here since I could not locate any of his relation either dead or alive. As a matter of fact, I have in my record the documents where he left behind a fixed deposit valued at Eleven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$11.5 million) with a Bank here in Togo. I therefore, decided to reach you to see if you could be interested to conclude this project with me. The request of a foreigner to be used as the next of kin in this tranaction is occasioned by the fact that my deceased client was a foreigner so the next of kin must be a foreigner too. So when the fund is transferred to your account I will visit your country for investments under your kind supervision. Bear in mind that the entire transaction will be risk-free involvement from your side and legitimate since the funds will be coming to you as your INHERITANCE. If this proposition is acceptable by you, respond to me ASAP before the Finance company pays the fund to our Government Treasurey as unclaimed bill. We shall agree on sharing percentage of the fund when I hear from you. I expect your quick response indicating your full interest in this great business transaction which will be for our mutual benefit. Respectfully, Matheo Doekin

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam