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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:

• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
• 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.
  • engr_johnyusuf@fastermail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: john yusuf <engrjohn_yusuf@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 07:36:33 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE


Dear Sir/Madam,

AN APPEAL FOR YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE

I fervently pray that this letter will not cause any embarrassment to you. I am aware that we have neverseen each other before neither have we exchanged any form of formal contract or corespondence before.I am equally aware that this world is full of dishonest people,but I sincerely hope that my humble letter will touch your heart to assist us and give us the opprtunity of being future insperable.I am PRINCIPAL Accountant of Federal Ministry of Aviation,lagos, Nigeria, in my ministry with two directors of the federal ministry of avaition are soliciting your kind assistance to help us receive the total sum of US$12.5M (Twelve million Five hundred thousand US dollars) into your private or company'saccount.

This huge amount of money was arose through overinvoice during he time some contractors awarded toforeign companies and to a Chinese firm for construction and to supply equipment and service to the various ministry of Nigeria some time ago, and this foreign company has been paid actually sum of their contract executed with the federal government of Nigeria.Also, after much crosschecking all the foreign contrators file and found out that this huge amount of money is over invoice placed by the military regime Official and now we top official in government have decide to use hisopportunity to look foran assistance from foreigner account and company name to transfer this moneyoutside the country for our own private use.

Your assistance is being solicited to help us receive this money into your private or company account because without a foreigner assisting us. There is no way we can have the hance in this world of converting this enormous fund to our personal use here, neither can we transfer this fund to our local account here. Moreover, the law here does not allow us to operate an oversea account. In view of the nature of what I am soliciting you to do for us, might be moved to look as it is risky but I am disposed to you that there is no risk associated with this fund on your part it's 100% risk free with my position you are highly covered I have worked out all necessary vital document tht back up this transfer.

We will be obliged to give you 30% of this fund, while 60% come to us and 10% is mapped out for any expenses made in course of transfering his fund to the account you will provide. If this request for your assistance meets your kind heart to assist us I request A)Your bank information for the transfer of the fund including the address of the bank telephone, fax number of the bank.

B)Your private direct telephone, fax and your address, as soon as I received these information from you, I will start to process the next required document for the transfer of the fund in your name because every thing will be done and processed in your name as the bonafide beneficiary of the fund. Please, I beseach you to trust me in this matter and there is no risk associated with this transaction. All I solicit you is assist us so that our individual efforts made in securing the fund will not be in vain,
I look forward to your urgent response via e-mail: engr_johnyusuf@fastermail.com for security reason as given above, I look forward to a favourable response from you soonest.finally we believe you can understand that this business should not go on air. You should please treat it as Secret and confidential a more information in this transaction.
Yours Truly ,
Engr. John Yusuf


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam