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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 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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • barr_harrywilliams1@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Barrister Harry Williams <barr_harrywilliams1@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 15:21:13 -0300
Subject: urgent response

Attn: I am Barrister Harry Williams, a Solicitor. I am the Personal Attorney to Mr.Steve who used to work with Agip Oil Company (AGIP)in Nigeria.On the 21st of April 2002,he was involved in a plane crash with his wife and their two daughters on there way from Abuja to Lagos.Unfortunately, they all lost their lives in the event of the plane crash.Since then I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my client?s relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. A fter these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence, I contacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by my client in a Finance Company. Particularly, the Finance Company where the deceased deposited the US$18 Million (Eighteen Million United States Dollars only). Consequently, this Finance Company issued me a notice to provide the Next of Kin to claim the US$18 Million (Eighteen Million United States Dollars only) in their custody within the next ten official working days.Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased to claim the fund as the Next of Kin to him so that the fund will be transferred to your account by the Finance Company.Upon receipt of the fund, I will come over to your country to meet with you for the disbursement of the fund and then you and I will share the money in this order: 70% will be for me, 30% will be for you. I have all the necessary legal documents that can back our claim we may make with the Finance Company.All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Reply to this email address:barr_harrywilliams1@yahoo.com Best regards. BARRISTER HARRY WILLIAMS. Principal Attorney.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam