419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
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)
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
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.
- +447024034931 (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.
- csubb@email.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Rosemary Burckhard" <inara.borges@masterhoteis.com.br>
Reply-To: ULSTER BANK UK <csubb@email.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2010 07:31:03 -0300 (BRT)
Subject: MY OFFER (CONTACT ULSTER BANK OF UNITED KINGDOM FOR THE TRANSFER OF
YOUR FUND)

Greetings !

I am sure this mail would be coming to you as a surprise
since we have never met before and you would also be asking why I have decided
to chose you amongst the numerous internet users in the world, precisely I
cannot say why I have chosen you but do not be worried for I come in peace and
something very positive is about to happen to your life right now and to the
lives of others through you if only you can carefully read and digest the
message below. The internet has made the world global villages where you can
reach anybody you have not met before.

Before I move further, permit me to give you a little of my
biography, I am Mother Rose mary
Burckhard , 87 Years old woman and the wife of Late Sir Burckhard
Erich who died in a Plane crash on Monday the 7th of September 1998 GMT
14:22 UK while they were flying from New York to Geneva. Please see site below
for more information.
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html

After the death of my husband I became the Head of his
investment and now that I am old and weak I have decided to spend the rest of
my life with my family and loved ones whom I never had time for during the
course of my business life, but before the death of my husband we had a plan to
use the last days of our lives to donate half of what we have worked for to the
less privilege and charity homes and the other half for ourselves, family
members and close friends, and it is so unfortunate that my husband is not
alive today to do this with me and I am very weak and old now, hence I have
decided to do this philanthropic work on behalf of my late husband and I.

Presently, I have willed out almost half of our assets to
several charity homes and to some of the less privilege in different countries.
Despite the agreement between my late husband and I to give aid to the
deprived, we also agreed to render support to an individual we have not meet
before in life due to the fact when we were still young in life we receive an
anonymous help from an individual we did not know and which we have not being
able to know till date, the impact we got from such gesture made us to do same.

I am sorry to inform you that you will never have the chance
to know me because I have just concluded the assignment which my husband and I
have agreed upon before his sudden death and you happened to be the beneficiary
of our last WILL, irrespective of your previous financial status, hence I need
you to do me a favor by accepting our offer that will cost you nothing.

I have presently deposited a Cheque in the sum of 2.8million
British Pounds with Ulster Bank of United Kingdom to be transferred to you ,
what you have to do now is to contact the
Bank in United Kingdom as soon as possible to enable them create an
online account for you and then you can commence the transfer of your fund to your local account.

You have to contact
the ULSTER BANK OF UNITED KINGDOM immediately for an urgent Transfer of your fund to you, please HERE IS THE CONTACT INFORMATION
OF THE INTERNATIONAL FUND TRANSFER OFFICER

Contact person: Mr. Terry West

Email csubb@email.com

Customer Service,+447024034931

You are to reconfirm the below information to them to avoid
any mistake on the Transfer

Full Names:

Direct telephone number;

Please, try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail
to avoid any further delay

Note: Please I do not want you to thank me or my husband all
I need you to do is to invest wisely with it and do the same good to someoneâ€™s
life someday as this is the only way this world would be a better community if
we render selfless services to one another.

Also be notified that I will no longer be reading my email
or surfing the INTERNET as I have retired completely from the outside world to
my ranch at this moment. I have nothing to do with cars, emails and other
luxuries. All further correspondence should be forwarded to the Bank Yours Faithfully

Mrs. Rosemary
Burckhard

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam