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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:
  • "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)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "bello muhameed" <bello01@sympatico.ca>
Reply-To: bellomuhameed2@o2.pl
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2006 10:23:30 +0000
Subject: Partner urgently

The Manager Credit and Foriegn Bills
United Bank For Africa
U.b.a House,
57,Marina Lagos.
Attention:
My name is Mr.Bello Muhameed, the Manager, Credit and Foreign bills of
United Bank For Africa.I am writing in respect of a foreign customer of our
bank with account number 14-255-114 whose name is Late Mr. Morris Thompson,
an american by citizen who perished in a plane crash of Alaska Airlines
Flight 261 which crashed on January 31 2000, including his wife and only
daughter. You shall read more about the crash on visiting this site which I
got during my investigation;
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list

Since the demise of this our customer, I personally has watched with
keen interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as no one
has come to claim his funds of US$20million{Twenty Million
United States Dollars}which has been with our branch for a very
long time.
On this note,i decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the
Next of Kin as no one has come up to be the next of kin. And the banking
ethics here does not allow such money to stay more than Ten Years, because
the money will be recalled to the bank treasury as unclaimed fund after this
period.
In view of this I got your contact through a trade journal when i was making
a research on a foreigner i will use in this great opportunity.
For your assistant i will give you 30% of the total amount then 10% has
been maped out to donate to the motherless baby home, while the remaining
60% will be for me and my partner. Upon the receipt of your response, I will
send you by fax or e-mail the letter of application which you will type sign
and send back to our bank to enable us start this transaction.
I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch
free and that you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for the
smooth and easy transfer of this fund has been finalized, this transaction
will be completed within five banking days of recieving your response, after
you apply to the bank as a relation to the deceased.
When you receive this letter. Kindly send me an e-mail signifying your
decision including your private Tel/Fax numbers for quick communication
on my personal email address.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr.Bello Muhameed
Manager Credit and Foriegn Bills
United Bank For Africa.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam