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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• 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:
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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:
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "KOROMA JOHN" <koromajohn10@msn.com>
Reply-To: johnkoroma10@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:52:30 +0000
Subject: CAN WE DO THIS TOGETHER DEAR

JOHN PAUL KOROMA
METROPOLITAN BANK NIGERIA LTD
HEAD OFFICE 24, IDOWU TAYLOR STREET
P.M.B 73266
VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS-NIGERIA
DEAR,
I AM JOHN PAUL KOROMA. IN CHARGE OF BILLS AND FOREIGN
EXCHANGE REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF METROPOLITAN BANK NIGERIA LTD.
I AM WRITING YOU THIS LETTER TO ASK FOR YOUR
SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION TO CARRY OUT THIS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IN MY
DEPARTMENT
WE DISCOVERED AN UNCLAIMED SUM OF $24.5MILLION (TWENTY FOUR MILLION FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) IN AN ACCOUNT BELONGING TO ONE OF OUR CUSTOMER,
WHO DIED IN A PLANE CRASH WITH THE ENTIRE FAMILY IN YEAR 2001.
SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT OF
KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY.
UNFORTUNATELY,NEITHER THE FAMILY NOR THE RELATION HAS APPEARED TO CLAIM THIS
MONEY. WE CANNOT RELEASE THIS MONEY UNLESS SOMEBODY APPLIES AS THE NEXT OF
KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED.
OUR BANKING GUIDELINES INDICATED THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAINED UNCLAIMED FOR A
PERIOD OF FOUR (4) YEARS, IT WOULD BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE METROPOLITAN BANK
NIGERIA TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUND.
AGAIN WITH THE RECAPITALISATION POLICY FROM THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA,
WHICH ELAPSE THIS
DECEMBER 2005.
ANOTHER OFFICER AND I IN THE DEPARTMENT NOW DECIDED TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY
INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION OF THE DECEASED FOR EASY
COLLECTION SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND WE DONT WANT THIS MONEY TO GO
BACK INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS THE UNCLAIMED DEBT.
IN FACT MY FRIEND AND I HAVE AGREED TO URGENTLYARRANGE TO TRANSFER OUT THIS
MONEY THROUGH ANOTHER FOREIGN BENEFICIARY OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE DECIDED TO GIVE YOU 40% OF THE TOTAL SUM. SO
PLEASE, AS A MATTER OF URGENCY SEND TO ME YOUR
TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.
I WILL DO MY BEST TO SEE THAT WE CONCLUDE THIS
TRANSACTION SUCCESSFULLY ON TIME. PLEASE IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED SEND ME AN IMMEDIATE MAIL SO THAT I CAN
EXPLAIN THE DETAILS TO YOU TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BUSINESS
NOTE: THAT OUR BANK IS WORKING ON THE CONSOLIDATION PROCESS, ISSUED BY THE
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA, IT MEANS THAT OUR BANK IS MERGING WITH FOUR OTHER
BANK IN NIGERIA

WAITING FOR YOUR URGENT RESPONSE
REGARDS
JOHN PAUL KOROMA

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam