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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned 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.
  • helentaylor90@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "helen taylor" <helentaylor@she.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: helentaylor90@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 19:15:44 +0700
Subject: urgent reply


DEAR SIR/MADAM,

COMPLIMENTS OF THE DAY TO YOU.

MY NAME IS HELEN TAYLOR,THE DAUGHTER OF FORMER LIBERIAN PRESIDENT,
CHARLES TAYLOR, WHO IS FACING TRIALS NOW,I AM SEEKING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN COLLECTING MY FATHER'S
MONEY THAT WAS DEPOSITED IN A SECURITY COMPANY IN BANGKOK THAILAND AS PRECIOUS DIAMOND AND FAMILY TREASURE,WHILE HE WAS STILL IN OFFICE AS PRESIDENT, AMMOUNTING TO EIGHT
MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR PURPOSE OF INVESTMENT IN YOUR COUNTRY

FOR DOING THIS YOU WILL BE REWARDED THE SUM OF ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED
AND SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS WHICH IS FIFTEEN PERCENT OF THE TOTAL
SUM IN QUESTION.

PLEASE I NEED YOU TO CONTACT ME WITH YOUR FULL NAMES,PHONE AND FAX.

AWAITING YOUR PROMPT AND STRICT CONFIDENTIAL RESPONSE


HELEN TAYLOR

N:B PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM PRESENTLY IN HIDING DUE TO THE ARREST OF MY
FATHER WHO IS FACING TRIAL NOW,SO I WILL PREFER US TO COMMUNICATE VIA
EMAIL AND I CAN ALSO CALL YOU FROM PUBLIC PHONE,USE THIS MY CONFIDENTIAL
EMAIL; helentaylor90@yahoo.com TO RESPOND URGENTLY

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam