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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
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "diplomatic courier" ("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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Michael Williams <wm_mich_00@yahoo.it>
Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2006 23:05:46 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: REPLY ME

DEAR FRIEND,
I KNOW THIS WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.I AM MR MICHAEL WILLIAMS, I FORMALLY WORK IN THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA ,PACKAGING AND COURIER DEPARTMENT BEFORE I GET STROKE DURING THE NIGERIA BOMB BLAST WHICH CAME UP THREE YEARS AGO,ALSO IT WAS DURING THIS BOMB BLAST I LOST MY DARLING WIFE WITH TWO CHILDREN REMAIN ONE SON IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS SON I WANT TO TRANSFER THIS FUNDS. BECAUSE OF THIS I WAS RESIGN BY THE BANK FOR A TREATMENT WHICH I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY.DURING THIS MY SERVICE IN OFFICE I WAS ABLE TO MANAGE THIS FUNDS THROUGH DIPLOAMTIC.I GOT YOUR CONTACT IN MY SEARCH FOR A HONEST PERSON THROUGH ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE IN THE CENTRAL BANK WHO SAID THAT I CAN CONFIDE IN YOU.

I WANT YOU TO HELP ME CLEAR A PACKAGE WHICH I SHIPPED THROUGH THE UNITED NATIONS DIPLOMATIC COURIER AGENT ATTACHED TO CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA,AND IT WAS BEEN DEPOSITED IN LONDON NAME(WITHHELD) UNTIL I HEAR FROM YOU. THE CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE IS US$11M( ELEVEN MILLION UNITEDSTATESDOLLARS) ALL IN $100 BILLS, BUT THE COURIER COMPANY DOES NOT KNOW THAT IT IS MONEY THAT I HAVE IN THE PACKAGE.
ALL I WANT YOU TO DO FOR ME NOW IS THIS GIVE ME-YOUR PRIVATE PHONE AND FAX YOUR MILLIN ADRESS YOUR FULL HOME ADRESS.A COPY OF YOUR INTERNATIOAL PASSPORT
HOPE THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY , YOU WILL HAVE 25%AND 75% WILL BE FOR ME .

MY IDENTITY MUST NOT BE REVEALED TO ANYBODY . IF THIS ARRANGEMENT IS OKAY BY YOU , THEN GET BACK TO ME OTHER MODALITIES WILL BE DISCUSSED AS SOON AS YOU GET BACK TO ME INCLUDING
SENDING OF THE KEYS TO THE BOXES TO YOU.

I WAIT FOR YOUR REPLY

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MR MICHAEL WILLIAMS.
Chiacchiera con i tuoi amici in tempo reale!
http://it.yahoo.com/mail_it/foot/*http://it.messenger.yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam