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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "trunk box" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "trunk boxes" (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)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was sent to thousands of people)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • maryobaseki_info@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • bensmithline@ny.com

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?mary=20obaseki?= <maryobaseki_info@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: mary70_obaseki@ny.com
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 20:26:24 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Regards


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: maryobaseki_info@yahoo.co.uk




Dear Friend,


I am Mr. Ben SMITH Bank Manager of Lloyds TSB bank Tower Bridge Road

London. I have urgent and very confidential business proposition for you.

On June 6, 2000, Mr. Barry Kelly made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for

forty-eight months, (being four years) valued at US$40,000,000.00, (forty

Million, Dollars) in my branch.

Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but

got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered

from his employers, that Mr. Barry Kelly died from tsunami on his holidays

in Thailand 26 December 2004. On further investigation, I found out that he

died without making a WILL and all attempts to trace his next of kin were

fruitless.


I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Mr. Barry Kelly

did not declare any kin or relations in all his official documents,

including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of US$40,000,000

has carefully been moved out of my bank to a security company for

safekeeping.


No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to British Law, at the

expiration of (three) years, the money will revert to the ownership of the

British Government if nobody applies to claim the fund.

Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you to stand in as the owner

of the money I deposited it in a security company in two trunk boxes though

the security company does not know the contents of the boxes as I tagged

them to be photographic materials for export. I am writing you because I as

a public servant (Manager with the bank), I cannot operate a foreign

account or have an account that is more than $1m.


I want to present you as the owner of the boxes in the security company so

you can be able to claim them with the help of my attorney. This is simple.

I will like you to provide immediately your full names and address so that

the Attorney will prepare the necessary documents which will put you in

place as the as the owner of the boxes.


The money will be moved out for us to share in the ratio of 70% for me and

30% for you. There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this

transaction will be done by the Attorney and this will guarantees the

successful execution of this transaction.


If you are interested, please reply immediately via my email address upon

your response, I shall then provide you with more details and relevant

documents that will help you understand the transaction.

Please observe utmost confidentiality, and rest assured that this

transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require

your assistance to invest my share in (Buying of properties like houses,

hotels and doing charity works etc)

Please do send me your private/mobile telephone fax number so that we can

have a smooth communication.


Awaiting your urgent reply via my email: bensmithline@ny.com


Thanks and regards.

Ben SMITH.



- mary obaseki

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam