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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
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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.

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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million us 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)
  • "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • john_williams200@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "john williams" <j_129williams129@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 15:05:57 +0200
Subject: GREETINGS

DR JOHN WILLIAMS,
ADD:40 RIVONIA RECENT (R.S.A)
TEL-27-73-7613-029

Dear Friend,

I am,DR JOHN WILLIAMS,the Chief Accountant African Development Bank South
Africa.I got your address while searching for trustworthy individuals in
various countries. ln my department,we discovered an abandoned sum of
$25,5million US dollars in an account that belongs to one of our foreign
customers who died in an auto accident with his family in South Africa.
Since we got information about his death,we have been expecting his next of
kin to come to our bank and claim his money because we cannot release it
unless somebody applies for it as a next of kin or relative to the deceased
as indicated in our banking guidelines but unfortunately we learnt that all

his supposed relatives died in a plane crash leaving no relative behind to
claim the fund.It is upon this discovery that l and other officials in my
department decided to make this business proposal to you and release the
money to you as the next of kin or relative to the deceased for safety and
subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and we do not want
this money to go into our bank treasury as an unclaimed fund. The banking
law and guidelines here stipulate that if such money remained unclaimed
after four years,the money will be transfered into the bank treasury as

unclaimed funds. The request for a foreigner as a relative for this claim is
occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a South African
cannot claim this fund as next of kin. We agreed that 20% of this money
will go to the foreign partner who will supply the foreign account,5% will
be set aside for expenses incurred during the transaction and 75% will be
for me.Thereafter,l and my colleagues will visit your country for
disbursement of the percentages as indicated above. If you are interested to
assist in this transaction,kindly contact the writer on the above mobile
number or private e-mail address.Please this transaction is risk free and
you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required arrangements have
been made for transfer.

Yours Faithfully,

DR JOHN WILLIAMS, Chief Accountant ADB

I WILL LIKE YOU TO CONTACT ME ON THIS EMAIL ADDRESS
john_williams200@myway.com
OR MY TEL-27-73-7613-029

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam