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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge sum 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "@lawyer.com" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +447040111740 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • tcollins@lawyer.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "patrick makeba" <pmakeba3@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 03:08:01 +0200
Subject: Hello

Dear Friend,
My name is Patrick Makeba Director of International Remittance Affairs in
the South African Reserve Bank in South Africa. I am presently here in the
United Kingdom on a course; I am
contacting you regarding a Business transfer of a huge sum of money from a
deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will
make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all
modalities have being put in place for a hitch free transaction.
PROPOSITION:
One of my colleagues is the account officer to the deceased named Gerald
Welsh who died in an air crash along with his family in an Egyptian airline
990 with other passengers on board. You can confirm this from the bbc
website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/world/americas/502503.stm.
Since his death, none of his next of kin is alive to lay claims for this
money as his heirs because they
all died in the same crash.
We cannot release the funds from his account unless someone applies for the
claim next of kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.
Upon this discovery, my colleagues and I seek your permission, to have you
stand as the next of kin to the deceased, as all documentation have been
carefully worked out by us for the funds US$20,500,000.00 million (Twenty
million five Hundred thousand United States of American Dollars) to be
released/ transferred in your name as the beneficiary /next of kin.
After five years, the money will be called back to the banks treasury as
unclaimed bills and the fund shared amongst the directors of the bank. So,
it is on this note that my colleagues and I decided to seek for your
assistance to stand as the beneficiary rather than allowing the bank
directors to share the money among them at the end of this fiscal year. It
may also interest you to know that we have secured from the probate and
order of Mandamus to locate any of the deceased family/beneficiary. Please
acknowledge your willingness to assist by furnishing me with the following:
1. Your full names and company name, in other to process the documents on
your name.
2. Personal telephone and fax number
At the end of the transaction your will be compensated with 25% of the
total sum for your assistance, While the balance will be for my colleagues
and I for investment purpose in your country because we intend to invest our
share of the money in your country for a minimum of two years under your
supervision. If this proposal is acceptable to you, please endeavour to
contact me immediately via my email: patrckmakeba@walla.com
Telephone: +44 704 0111 740
with your confidential Telephone Number, Fax Number and E-mail address.
Please note that this transaction should be kept confidential between both
parties.
I am looking forward to your prompt response. God bless you.
Regards,
Patrick Makeba
NB: Please, as a matter of confidentiality, do send
your reply via my lawyer's private email address as mentioned below:
tcollins@lawyer.com
______________________________________

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam