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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:

• 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.
  • +447040106175 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +447040117006 (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.
  • williamholsen@yahoo.co.uk
  • williamholsen@sify.com

Fraud email example:

From: "wholsen wholsen" <wholsen@msn.com>
Reply-To: williamholsen@sify.com
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 20:37:32 +0000
Subject: GOOD DAY

Compliments,


Before I introduce myself, I wish to inform you that this letter is not a
hoax mail and I urge you to treat it serious. We want to transfer to an
overseas account ($16,500.000.00 USD) Sixteen Million Five Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars) from one of the banks in europe. I want to ask you,
If you are not capable to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who
will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set
up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can
serve to receive this money, as long as you will remain honest to me till
the end of this important business ,I am trusting in you and believing in
God that you will never let me down either now or in future.


I am Mr William Holsen, During the course of our auditing last week,I
discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1996 and
since 1998 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through
some old files in the records,I discovered that the owner of the account
died without a [Heir/WILL] hence the money is floating and if I do not remit
this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing.



The owner of this account Mr. Morris Thompson an American and great
industrialist and a resident of Alaska, who unfortunately lost his life in
the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crahsed on January 31
2000,including his wife and only daughter leaving nobody as next of kin. You
shall read more news about the crash on visiting this site:
(http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/)


No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it,the
account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well
that the account is a secret account.

The total amount involved is Sixteen million Five Hundred Thousand United
States Dollars only [$16,500.000.00] and we wish to transfer this money into
a safe foreigners account abroad. But I don't know any foreigner, I am only
contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a
local person here, but to a foreigner who has information about the account,
which I shall give to you upon your positive response. I am revealing this
to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business,
you are the first and the only person that I am contacting for this
business, so please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step
to take urgently.



I need your strong assurance that you will never let us down, me and key
bank officials who are deeply involved with me in this business. I guarantee
that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from any breach of the law.

The bank officials will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we
receive this money,leaving no trace to any place. I will use my position and
influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to
your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries and
foreign exchange departments.


At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 25% of the total
amount,70% will be for us, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might
have incurred during the process of transferring. I look forward to your
earliest reply.You can call me on +44-704-010-6175 for more details or reply
to my private email address: williamholsen@yahoo.co.uk


Best Regards,


Mr.William Holsen
London Uk
Tel: +447-040-117-006
Email: williamholsen@sify.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam