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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "ROTIMI WILLIAMS" <rwilliams707@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: 1williams_associates@myway.com
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 09:11:13 +0000
Subject: Attention..

FROM THE DESK OF: BARRISTER ROTIMI WILLIAMS
CHAMBER:WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATES
Victoria Island,Lagos-Nigeria.



Please bear with me for sending this letter
to you surprisingly. I am the Barrister Rotimi Williams.
I manage private clients accounts,My motive for writing
this mail to you is to in form you of an account
belonging to Mr. Alfred Glover,Who has been my client for over 10 years.

His account holds the sum of $9,000,000.00 USD.
The truth now is that Mr.Alfred Glover is late, and
I have monitored his account with the bank for 4 years now,and
to my greatest surprise, no one has come up for a claim till date.
>From my investigations and confirmation, my client left his next
of kin column blank, which is why no one has knowledge of the
deposit except me is personal attorney.

Hence the need to get in touch with you as one who I can present
as a next of kin to assist in repatriating the money left behind by
my late client before they get confiscated or declared unpayable,
as I have been unsuccessful in locating a relative for over 3 years now.
Please be informed that the proceeds of this Deposit valued at $9 million

dollars.
Will be shared as follows: 60% for and me colleagues in my Chamber,
35 % to you and the remaining 5% for expenses.
I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to backup
any claim we may make. All I require is your Honest cooperation
to enable this deal go through.
I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement
that will protect you from any breach of the law.


Yours Faithfully,

Rotimi Williams
For:Williams & Associates.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam