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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "atm card department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS MARY JANE"<uniontrustb@live.fr>
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 07:32:35 +0100
Subject: *****SPAM***** ATTENTION :UNION TRUST BANK/ATTENTION:ATM MASTER CARD OWNER


Spam detection software, running on the system "spam1.pem.inap.sea.dotster.net", has
identified this incoming email as possible spam. The original message
has been attached to this so you can view it (if it isn't spam) or label
similar future email. If you have any questions, see
the administrator of that system for details.

Content preview: FROM THE DESK OF DR.MARY JANE DIRECTOR ATM CARD DEPARTMENT
UNION TRUST BANK AND SECURITY BENIN REPUBLIC WEST AFRICA. OUR REF: U.T.B.S.C./MF/B01/Vol
01 ATTENTION :UNION TRUST BANK/ATTENTION:ATM MASTER CARD OWNER, [...]

Content analysis details: (10.7 points, 7.0 required)

pts rule name description
---- ---------------------- --------------------------------------------------
0.0 MISSING_MID Missing Message-Id: header
0.1 RDNS_NONE Delivered to trusted network by a host with no rDNS
1.9 DATE_IN_PAST_06_12 Date: is 6 to 12 hours before Received: date
1.8 SUBJ_ALL_CAPS Subject is all capitals
1.6 MISSING_HEADERS Missing To: header
1.2 US_DOLLARS_3 BODY: Mentions millions of $ ($NN,NNN,NNN.NN)
2.0 ADVANCE_FEE_2 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
1.9 UPPERCASE_75_100 message body is 75-100% uppercase
0.2 FORGED_MUA_OUTLOOK Forged mail pretending to be from MS Outlook

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam