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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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:
  • "million us 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)
  • "hundred thousand us 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)
  • "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: john akone <jhk1@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <jhn_ak004@yahoo.fr>
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 19:10:57 +0100
Subject: VERY URGENT..FROM JOHN



JOHN AKONE.ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT DEPT.CONTINENTAL BANK COTONOU BENIN REP.
Hello,
I am MR JOHN AKONE, the secretary in the office of the director incharge account and audit dept of CONTINENTAL BANK COTONOU BENIN REP.With due respect and regards,I have decided to contact you on a mutual business transaction that will be of great benefit to both of us.During the auditing of our bank,it was discovered that a total sum of 6.5 million US dollars (Six million,Five Hundred Thousand US dollars)was abandoned in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer Mr.GEORGE STEARNS who died in an Air-Crash near the Atlantic Ocean in Cotonou suburb on Thursday, December 25, 2003. For more clarifications, you can visit the CNN web news for the tragedy.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/
Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of Kin to come over and claim his money because the money cannot be release unless somebody applies for it as next of Kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking and financial policies but unfortunately we learnt that his supposed next of kin or relation died along side with him in the accident leaving no body behind to claim the money.It is therefore upon this discovery that I and other officials in my department now decided to make this business proposal to you and for you to stand as his next of kin so that the money would be transfferred to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and we don't want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed bills.
The Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after four years, the money will be transferred into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund.The request for a foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and an indigene cannot stand as next of kin to the deceased family.I have agreed that 30% of this money will be for you as foreign partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign account, 5% will be set aside for expenses incurred during this transaction and 65 % would be for me and my colleagues.There after I and my colleagues will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated. Therefore to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged,you must apply first to the Bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your private, telephone and fax number for easy and effective communication and location where the money will be remitted.
When I receive your reply, I will send to you by fax or e-mail the text of the application. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is risk free and that you should not entertain any fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer. You should contact me on my e-mail as soon as you receive this letter. We can conclude this operation within ten banking days,and keep this very confidential. Contact me for more information, before you apply.Trusting to hear from you shortly.
Have a nice day.
JOHN AKONE.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam