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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)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "confidentiality of this transaction" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Francis Cole" <franciscoleesq002@msn.com>
Reply-To: fcoleesq1@walla.com
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 00:33:54 +0000
Subject: ATTN:IT'S ALL ABOUT LATE MR.ANDREA SCHRANNER'S WILL.

From The Desk of Mr.Francis Cole
Cole Chambers & Co.
Lagos,Nigeria
 
Dear Friend,
 
I am Mr Francis Cole, an attorney with the above mentioned chambers Lagos Nigeria in West Africa,a personal attorney/confidant to the Late Mr.Andreas Schranner.On Monday,5th Auguest, 1996,I was appointed as a peronal attorney/confidant to Mr.Andreas Schranner,(Late) a German National, An Astute Business man of international repute, a contract with ecowas country, whose endeavours spans various areas of Business interest, (Real estate, contract and Farming .etc)

Late Mr.Andreas Schranner before his death made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit, valued at $10,600,000.00 (Ten Million, Six Hundred thousand United States Dollars) for twelve calendar months in one of the prime banks here in West Africa,Lagos Nigeria (Name witheld).Upon Maturity,the bank sent me a routine notification as his personal attorney/confident to present any of my late Mr.Andreas Schranner Next of Kin or extented family since Andreas Schranner, 64, his wife Maria, 62, their daughter Andrea Eich, 38, her husband Christian, 57, and their children Katharina, eight, and Maximilian, 10, all perished in the jet which crashed on Monday, 31 July 2000 into the Hotelissimo.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
 

After further investigation,been his personal attorney/confidant,it was discovered that his only Next of Kin were his wife Maria and only their daughter Andrea Eich who were also involved in the crash.

On further investigation, it was discovered that Late Mr. Andreas Schranner did not declare any next of kin or relatives in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paper work here in my custody expect his wife Maria  and daughter Andrea Eich who are all involved in the plane crash. The total sum, $10,600,000.00 is still in the bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. All efforts to trace and locate any of his extended family proved abortive.
 
In accordance with the country’s  banking laws and constitution guiding the banking institution stated that  after  the expiration of 6 (Six) years, if no body or person comes for the claim as the next of kin , such  money will be revert to the Nigerian government  treasury if nobody applies as the next of Kin to claim of the fund. Consequently, It is upon this respect, I seek to present you as a foreign partner to stand in as the next of kin to the late Mr. Andreas Schranner since no one will come up for the claim.
 
Upon acceptance of this proposal, I shall send to you by mail all the necessary documents as well as detailed information on how this deal would be carried out.
 
The money will be shared in the ratio: Sixty percent for me, forty percent for you and .I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law, as I have his personal attorney/confidant until his death,I will use my power here to perfect this business transaction & secure Approvals and guarantee the successful execution of this transaction.
 
Please be informed that your utmost confidentiality is required. If this interests you, I want to remind you of the confidentiality of this Transaction at hand whatever your decision is.

I await your urgent response. Your detailed reply should contain your full name,postal address,a scanned copy of your driver's licence and telephone/fax numbers for easier communication for onward proceeding.
 
Thanks.
Mr.Francis Cole,Esq
Francis Cole Chambers & Co.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam