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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "i will like you to " (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)
  • ",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)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "observe utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +2348063328445 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • promisebarry0011@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: promise barry <promisebarry02211@msn.com>
Reply-To: <promisebarry0011@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 14 May 2009 00:27:06 +0000
Subject: financial benefits



>From The Desk of: Mr, Promise Barry.
Inter Continental Bank of Nigeria,
Lagos, Nigeria.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am so sorry to bulge on you like this without knowing you prior to this
day but I employ you to please read this mail because it has immense
financial benefits for the both of us.

I am Mr Promise Barry , Bank Manager of Inter Continental Bank of Nigeria,
Lagos Branch. I got your contact on my private search on the Internet and
I listed your name amongst four other names and prayed over them and
decided to contact you directly.

I have a very urgent and confidential business proposition for you and for
our overall mutual interest. On December 6 1999,an American oil
consultant/contractor with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Mr.
Henry Gardner made a numbered time (fixed )deposit for twelve calendar
months, valued at USD$25,000,000.00(twenty five-million dollars)in my
branch.

Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarded address but
got no reply. After a month we sent a reminder and finally we discovered
from his contract employers NNPC that Mr. Henry Gardner died in an
automobile accident.

On further investigation, I found out that he did not leave a WILL and all
attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless. I therefore made further
investigation and discovered that Mr. Henry did not declare any next of
kin in all his official documents, including his bank deposit
paperwork.

This sum USD$25,000,000.00 is still floating in the bank and the interest
is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No
one will come forward to claim it.According to Nigerian Laws, at the
expiration of 9 ( nine ) years, the money will revert to the ownership of
the Nigeria government if nobody applies to claim the funds.

Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand
in as a next of kin of Mr.Henry Gardner. This is simple.

1)I will like you to provide me immediately with your full names & address
so that an attorney will prepare the necessary documents and affidavits,
which will put you as Next Of kin.

2)We shall employ the services of an attorney for drafting & notarization
of the WILL and obtain the necessary documents and letter of
probate/administration in your favor for the transfer.

3)A bank account in any part of the world, which you will provide to
facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary. The money
will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio of 60% for me
and 40% for you, which we will both sign and agree to, by a Memorandum of
Understanding (M.O.U) before we proceed with the transfer of the money to
you.

There is no risk at all as the attorney will do the paperwork for this
transaction and with my position as the branch manager guarantees the
successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested, please
reply immediately via this private promisebarry0011@gmail.com Upon your
response, I shall then provide you with more details and relevant
documents that will help you understand.

PLEASE OBSERVE UTMOST CONFIDENTIALITY, and be rest assured that this would
be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance
to invest my share in your country.Awaiting your urgent reply via this
email below, please save me the anxiety of endless waiting.Remember to
reply to:promisebarry0011@gmail.com
God bless you as you do.

Mr. Promise Barry.
Inter Continental Bank of Nigeria.Lagos, Nigeria.
call this office on +234-8063328445.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam