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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Richard Monk" <rmonk112@msn.com>
Reply-To: rmonk@88.am
Date: Wed, 04 Jan 2006 15:57:59 +0000
Subject: Attn:SMIT

Dear Smit,

I am Mr. Richard Monk, an Accounting Officer in one of the highly
esteemed
Commercial Bank here in Nigeria and I was very closed to Late Mr. James
Smit, nationality of your country. He was a specialist Seasoned
Contractor with Shell Petroleum Company in Lagos - Nigeria, who
unfortunately died in the p lane crash of Union Transport Africaines
Flight Boeing 727 in Cotonou, Benin Republic on the December 26,2003.
You
will read more stories about the crash on visiting this website:
www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/

Before his death on the 26th December 2003, he has a fixed Deposit
account
with us, and no other person knows about this account or anything
concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my
investigation
proved to me that his supposed next of kin died along with him in the
crash.

Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my clients
extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these
Several
unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name over the
Internet
to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you but I know you
don't know him, but with your last name been the same, we can get this
money before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the
bank.

Consequently, Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives
For
over 5 months now. I seek your consent to present you as the next of
kin
of the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at
US$10.522
million can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the Law and am
assuring you that it is a 100% risk-free transaction.
If this proposal is acceptable by email,

Best Regards,


MR. Richard Monk.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam