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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge sum of money" (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)
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs.benita Harris" <benharris76@msn.com>
Reply-To: benitaharris@123mail.cl
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 12:01:08 +0000
Subject: l need your service

Mrs. Benita Harris
Abn Amro Bank NV
Armsterdam,Netherlands.

Dear Friend,

l am Mrs. Benita Harris,Credit Director,foreign exchange department.I
am contacting you for a transferring of a huge sum of money from a
deceased customer's account with us to your any nominated account.l need a
reliable and trustworthy person to handle this business .

Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one
apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that everything has
been carfully taken care off,and it is all risk free. Being the Credit
Director,l discovered a foreigner named Morris T.Bailey,of Fairbanks,Alaska
America who was on 31st January 2000 involved in the Alaska Airlines Flight
261
crash.

Since his death, none of his family is alive to make claims for this
money as his heir, because they all died in the same plane crash.(May their
soul rest in peace). At the bank,we cannot release the fund from his account
unless someone applies for claim as the nearest person to the deceased
as indicated in our banking guidelines.

After five years and six months if the money is not claimed,it will be
called back to the bank treasury as unclaimed bills and the money
shared amongst the share holders as the bank profit. So it is on this note i
decided to seek for whom the name shall be used as the
nearest/beneficiary to this funds rather than allow the bank to share this
money amongst
themselves at the end of the stipulated period.

Please give me the following information if you are interested.

1.Your name/address,In order for me to prepare the document for
transfer of the funds in your name.

2. Your direct Telephone and fax numbers.For our personal contact and
mutual trust in each other.

If this proposal is acceptable to you, please endeavor to contact me
immediately. Do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed
on you,

I await your urgent response

Mrs.Benita Harris


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam