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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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:
  • "million 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)
  • "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • ssmbh1@maktoob.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Finance Ministry <finministry43@yahoo.co.nz>
Reply-To: alhajiobyissah1@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:49:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Reply asap


Federal Ministry of Finance
New Federal Secretariat Complex
Shehu Shagari Way,
Central Area Abuja Nigeria.
 
Dear Beneficiary,
 
 
My name is Alhaji Oby Issah, I am secretary to the chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Debts Reconciliation and Payment, I'm directed to contact you by the Ministry of Finance, to urgently confirm from you if actually you know one "Mr James Ford "who claim to be your business associate/ partner here in Nigeria.
 
The said Mr. James Ford is claiming to this office that you are dead and he loaned you some money and as such , you instructed him to receive the fund/payment which the federal Government of Nigeria recently approved to transfer to you as your payment.
 
Mr James Ford also requested that all relevant documents/In formations regarding your payment transfer should be changed to his name as the beneficiary of this payment, that is short-listed among the foreign beneficiaries who are to receive their debts owned by the banks here in Nigeria.
 
We wish to inform you that this Ministry in directives of the federal Government instructions/mandate to offset all outstanding payments to all our legal and verified foreign beneficiaries around the world and your payment file was affected.
 
Be informed that this Government has approved , the total sum of US$5,000.000.00 million.(FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) to all verified foreign beneficiaries . With this application Mr Ford filed to this office that you are owning him .
 
We need to confirm the reality of that you are owning him, thus we decided to write this letter to you. You are hereby requested to reply this mail immediately for confirmation,before we proceed in processing of this payment,and for us to know the true position of Mr James Ford's information.
 
So that we won't make any mistakes/errors in remitting your out-standing payment to a wrong person/account. Your quick response will help this ministry a lot.
 
Do email me with the following data : 1) YOUR FULLNAME AND ADDRESS. 2) YOUR DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER 3) YOUR OCCUPATION AND AGE 4] Your country of origin The above in formations will help this ministry to tackle this problems of double claim by this Mr James Ford.
Best Regards,
Alhaji Oby Issah
Note You can also email me via ssmbh1@maktoob.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam