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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!
  
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• 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.

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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:
  • "million united states 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • gullygraci2005@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. GULLY GRACI" <gullygraci2005@myway.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: ullygraci@myway.com
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:09:49 +0200
Subject: urgent

FROM: MR. GULLY GRACI ATTN:
DEAR
I AM THE MANAGER OF BILLS AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN
REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF THE ECOBANK SPAIN PLC. I AM
WRITING THIS LETTER TO ASK FOR SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION
TO CARRY OUT THIS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IN MY
DEPARTMENT. WE DISCOVER AN ABANDONED SUM OF
US$30,000,000.00 (THIRTY MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS
o nLY) IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN
CUSTOMER WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN
NOVEMBER 2002 IN A PLANE CRASH. SINCE WE GOT
INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTIN G HIS
NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE
CANNOT RELEASE THE MONEY UNLESS SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IT
AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED AS
INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES. UNFORTUNATELY,
NEITHER THE FAMILY MEMBER NOR THE RELATION HAS APPEARED
TO CLAIM THIS MONEY, AT THIS DISCOVERY, I AND OTHER
OFFICIALS IN THE DEPARTMENT NOW DECIDED TO DO BUSINESS
WITH YOU AND RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF
KIN OR RELATION OF THE DECEASE FOR SAFETY AND
SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SI NCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT
AND WE DON'T WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK
TREASURY AS AN UNCLAIMED DEBT. THE BANKING LAW AND
GUIDELINES OF ECOBANK SPAIN PLC STIPULATES THAT IF SUCH
MONEY REMAINED UNCLAIMED FOR A PERIOD OF THREE (3)
YEARS IT WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS
UNCLAIMED FUND. THE NEED FOR A FOREIGNER AS NEXT OF KIN
IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASSIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE
CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A SPAINISH CANNOT STAND AS
HIS NEXT OF KIN OR HEIR. WE AGREED THAT 30% OF THE M o
nEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER, THERE AFTER MY
COLLEAGUE AND I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR
DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGE INDICATED.
THEREFORE, TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THE FUND
TO YOU AS INDICATED. YOU MUST APPLY TO THE BAN K AS A
RELATION OR NEXT OF KIN OF THE DECEASED, INDICATING
YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER AND LOCATION WHEREIN THE MONEY
WILL BE REMITTED. UPON RECEIPT OF REPLY BY MAIL, I WILL
SEND TO YOU BY MAIL TH E TEXT OF APPLICATION. AS SOON
AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME
IMMEDIATELY AND INDICATE YOUR DIRECT FAX AND
CONFIDENTIAL TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY ON
MY email gullygraci2005@myway.com
YOURS FAITHFULLY, MR. GULLY GRACI

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam