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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Joan Zuru" <mrsjoanzuru03@msn.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 11:13:26 +0000
Subject: DEAR FRIEND (URGENT REPLY).

FROM PRESIDENCY
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
FOREIGN CONTRACT PAYMENT PANEL
ASO ROCK ABUJA
OUR REF: FG 1/FRS/FCPP/VOL.1/2006


ATTN: SIR/MADAM,


PAYMENT OF APPROVED CONTRACT FUND, CATEGORY (A) NIGERIAN FOREIGN CONTRACT
ACT OF 1999 ON CONTRACT EXECUTED IN CONFORMITY WITH THE DETERMINED INTEREST
OF THIS DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT TO OFFSET ALL OUTSTANDING FOREIGN CONTRACT
DEBTS AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR IMPROVED FOREIGN CONTRACT PAYMENT POLICY AS
STATED IN THE NIGERIAN FOREIGN CONTRACT PAYMENT ACT OF 1999, AS AMENDED IN
2006, WE HEREBY, EXPEDITE THE IMMEDIATE SETTLEMENT OF ALL APPROVED CONTRACTS
SUM. AND BASE ON THIS I HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU.


DEAR FRIEND,


IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU, I'M BY NAME MRS JOAN ZURU A
WIDOW WITH THREE CHILDREN AND A PERSONAL ASSISTANT AND HOUSE MAINTENANCE
OFFICER TO LATE MR. TAMAR OSPINA, AN OIL EXPATRIATE WHO DIED AS A RESULT OF
HEART RELATED DISEASE SOME EIGHT MONTHS AGO.

UPON HIS DEATH I DISCOVERED SOME CONTRACT INFORMATION’S IN RESPECT TO A
CONTRACT HE HAD EXECUTED WITH NIGERIA NATIONAL PETROLEUM COOPERATION (NNPC).
EVERY EFFORT TO CONTACT HIS FAMILY FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS HAD NOT YIELDED
ANY POSITIVE RESULT, BASED ON THIS, I WAS MOVED TO CONTACT HIS LAWYER WHO IS
MY LATE HUSBAND’S FRIEND AND EXPLAIN ISSUES TO HIM, ON THE CONTRARY, HE
ADVISED THAT I SHOULD LOOK FOR A FOREIGNER OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY WHO IS
WILLING TO STAND AS NEXT OF KIN.IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU ARE TRUELY RELATED
OR NOT.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, I THOUGHT OVER IT AND REASONED THAT THIS COULD BE THE
BEST OPTION. HE TRANSACTED A CONTRACT AT THE TUNE OF TWENTY-FIVE MILLION
FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND, FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS
FORTY-THREE CENTS ($25,425.435.43) AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE PAYING THE
CONTRACTORS. IT WILL BE EASIER FOR YOU TO MAKE THE CLAIMS.

BASICALLY, AS A NIGERIAN I DO NOT HAVE THE PERQUISITE TO MAKE CLAIMS, AND
MOREOVER I HAVE SERVED HIM FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS BEFORE HIS DEMISE. HE
HAD SINCE BEEN BURIED HERE IN NIGERIA. I WILL REQUEST IF YOU ARE WILLING AND
INTERESTED TO STAND ON HIS BEHALF TO MAKE THE CLAIM, ALL RELEVANT
INFORMATION’S FOR THE CONTRACT IS IN MY CUSTODY. UPON SUCCESSFULLY CLAIMING
THE FUND, WE SHALL AGREE ON A SHARING PERCENTAGE. THE LAWYER HAS ASSURED ME
OF ASSISTING WHERE NECESSARY.

PLEASE IF IN AFFIRMATIVE TO TRANSACT THIS DEAL WITH ME DO PLEASE REPLY
THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

MRS. JOAN ZURU.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam