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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• 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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million us 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)
  • "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist 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.
  • sgtgermarcus@virgilio.it (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Geraldine Marcus <geraldinemarcus@virgilio.it>
Reply-To: sgtgermarcus@virgilio.it
Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 23:02:42 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU?


Dear Friend,
I hope my email meets you well. I am in need of your assistance. My
name is SGT. GERALDINE MARCUS, I am in the Engineering military unit here in
Ba'qubah in Iraq, we have about $65 Million US dollars that we want to
move out of the country. My partners and I need a good partner someone we
can trust. It is oil money and legal.

But we are moving it through diplomatic means, to send it to your house directly or a bank of your choice using diplomatic courier service.The most important thing is that CAN WE TRUST YOU? Once the funds get to you,
you will take your 35% out and keep our own 65%. Your own part of this deal is to find a safe place where the funds can be sent to and kept. Our own part is
sending it to your doorstep where the consignment will be delivered to you. If you are interested you will need to give me your full names, an identity, address, telephone and fax number where the diplomat will reacch you as soon as he arrives your country and i will furnish you with more details that will facilitate your immediate access to the fund. But the whole process is simple and we must keep a low profile at all times.
Please reply me with this email for security purposes <sgtgermarcus@virgilio.it>

Thanking you and waiting for your urgent and favourable response.

Regards,

SGT GERALDINE MARCUS.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam