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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "million united states 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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Chief Edward Dickson" <chief_edward@msn.com>
Reply-To: chief_edwarddickson001@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 07:54:25 +0000
Subject: URGENT ASSISTANT PLS

FROM: THE DESK OF CHIEF EDWARD DICKSON
The Personal Assistant to the
The General Manager of Trust Bank (Nig) Plc

Dear ,

                                Letter of Business Proposal

I amCHIEF EDWARD DICKSON the personal assistant to the General Manager of Trust Bank (Nig) Plc. I want to inquire from you if you can handle this transaction for mutual benefits/life opportunity for you and me. The transaction is about assisting me as my foreign counterpart to enable us present you as the Beneficiary of the USD$25million United states dollars left by our late deceased foreign customer who died in a plane crash with his family (Mr. Donald M. Harrison) since January 2002.

 

This Fund is currently in a suspense account awaiting claim, since the time the bank made a public notice that they are ready to release this fund to any of his relative abroad but nobody has ever shown up to lay claims to this money. If you can assist me in claiming this money, YOU will deposit the money with you abroad (i.e. in your country) and it will be shared as follows; 40% to you, 50% to me and 10% for miscellaneous expenses that we may incur in the process of this transaction.

 

I will give you more details about the transaction when I receive your affirmative response via my email address or phone stated above.

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,

CHIEF EDWARD

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam