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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:

• 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:
  • "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)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • drjohnwatts2007@yahoo.com.mx (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • johnwatts2005@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?John=20Watts?= <drjohnwatts2007@yahoo.com.mx>
Reply-To: johnwatts2005@myway.com
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 01:24:19 -0800 (PST)
Subject: From: Dr. John A.Watts


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a: drjohnwatts2007@yahoo.com.mx

From: Dr. John A.Watts,

Manager, Credit and Foreign Bills,

Zenith International Bank Limited,

Lagos-Nigeria.


My name is Dr. John A. Watts, the manager Credit and Foreign Bills of Zenith International Bank Limited of Nigeria.


I am writing in respect of foreign customer of my bank with account

number 14-255-2004/zib/t who died in a plane crash (Ethiopian Airline961)with other passengers abroad.


Since the death of this customer, I personally have 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$15.5m (Fifteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which has been with my bank for a very long time.


On this note I decided to seek for whose name shall be used as the next of kin as no one has come up to be the next of kin. In view of this I got your contact through my country's foreign trade mission after I was convinced by providence that your name could be used as the next of kin.The request of the foreigner as a next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Nigerian cannot stand as the next of kin to a foreigner.


I agreed that 30% of this money will be for you as a foreign partner in respect of providing a new bank account or we can use your old account information, while the rest will be for me, thereafter, I will visit your country for disbursement as I am almost due for retirement.


Therefore, to facilitate the immediate transfer of this fund to your

account as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as a relation to the deceased indicating your private telephone number, and fax number for easy communication and location where the money will be remitted.


Upon the receipt of your reply, I will send you by fax or e-mail the

application and the next step to take.I will not fail to bring to your

notice that this business is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any fear as the whole required arrangement has been made for the transfer.


You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter.


Trusting to hear from you.

Your respectfully,

Dr. John A.Watts.

Please reply here: johnwatts2005@myway.com



- John Watts

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam