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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
  (+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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "diplomatic immunity"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "you will be entitled to 30%" (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)
  • "diplomatic immunity" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • balabu@financier.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mohammed Abacha" <able_tohelp@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: balabu@financier.com
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2005 17:53:25 +0000
Subject: Save this for good.

From: Mohammed Abacha
Presidential Quarters
Government Reserve Area (GRA)
Kano - Nigeria.

Dear Friend,
My name is MOHAMMED ABACHA, I am the senior son of the late head of state of
Nigeria General Sanni Abacha who died on the 8th of June 1998. I am writing
you this letter with all hope and courage from Almighty God that you will be
able to help my family and meddling this hour of need and persecution.
During my late father’s regime, I was given a lot of contracts to execute by
various ministries, which I successfully completed, and the contract value
paid to me accordingly.

We are therefore very surprised that at the death of my father, his
political enemies and even those who benefited immensely from my father has
all abandoned
us. I made a lot of money during my father’s regime for which I faced trial
in Lagos, Nigeria. Already, we have forfeited some money which was
transferred
through the Central Bank of Nigeria because of the records of the
transactions at that time, but during that same period, about $700 million
dollars cash was given to me by my father to keep and I was able to move
about $80 million through diplomatic immunity baggage system with
presidential plane to an undisclosed location abroad for safe keeping in a
finance deposit company.

I am now writing you this letter and soliciting your assistance to enable us
retrieve this money. No risk involved, but due to our restricted movement
and lack of money for my family, I would want you to present yourself as the
beneficiary of the funds with the password, which I will give to you, and
all the necessary documents with which the money was deposited will be sent
to you on agreement. You will be entitled to 30% of the total sum, as your
share while 60% will be for us. The remaining 10% is to
cover all expenses that may be incurred in the course of this transaction.
This arrangement is known to you and my mother and my financial consultant
only.
I will stop here for now. If you are interested please send me an email to
my Financial Consultant on balabu@financier.com for detailed explanation and
further discussion. Also include your telephone and fax numbers. My
telephone and fax numbers shall be revealed to you once you indicate your
interest.

May God bless you as you assist my family.

Yours faithfully,

Alhaji Mohammed Abacha.
For my family.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam