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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
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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "liberia" (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: "PHILIP TAYLOR" <ptaylor004@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: ptaylor001@o2.pl
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 09:07:29 +0000
Subject: POLITICAL ASSYLUM ( REPLY)

Dear Friend,
My name is Mr.Philip Taylor,Cousin to Mr.Charles Taylor,former president of
the Republic of Liberia who is presently in Nigeria on political assylum.Iam
also in Nigeria with Mr. Charles Taylor.

I have decided to contact you for this business,After I saw your details
when I was searching on the internet for someone that I can trust with
/honesty. Now,the issue here is that I have the sum of $5 million (Five
million united states dollars)deposited right now in a Nigerian Bank.All I
need is a trusted foreigner that can assist me in transferring and investing
the money outside Africa,hence
I am contacting you.

Please I beg you in the name of God in Heaven,this money is my only hope of
survival and I am counting on you for a successfull transfer of this money.I
hope you will not divert the money for your personal use or sit on this
money when it gets into your custody.

As soon as I get your personal details(your full address,your phone and fax
numbers) ,I will inform the Bank for change of ownership of the money and
the process of transfer will begin immediately.After the transfer,I promise
to compensate you with 30% of the total money and 5%
will be mapped out for expences. All things being equal,this transaction
will not take longer than eight working days.

Please reply to: ptaylor001@o2.pl

Regards,
Philip Taylor.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam