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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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:
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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)
  • "30% for you " (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)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• 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.
  • tanwongtw07@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Tan Wong" <jenni@reedtribe.org>
Reply-To: tanwongtw07@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:08:37 -0800
Subject: From Tan Wong(Business Proposal)


FROM: TAN WONG
(tanwongtw07@yahoo.com.hk)

I am Mr.Tan Wong director of operations of the Hang Seng Bank Ltd. I have
an obscured business suggestion for you.
I have urgent and confidential business proposition for you that will be
of great benefit for both of us.It involves a deceased client(Major Fadi
Basem) of my bank who deposited the sum of $24,500.000.00 only in my branch
and the client was reported dead along with his family due to war crisis
involving Americans and Iraqis.My bank have carried out serious search to
locate his next of kin since his death but to no avail and the client confided
in me the last time he visited my bank that i alone knew of this said funds
and no next of kin was indicatede in the official papers he used in depositing
the funds in my bank,so i am proposing to you as a foreigner to come and
lay claim to it in order for the funds to be shared between me and you.
My attorney will prepare the necessary document to put as the next of kin
to Major.After you have been made the next of kin,the attorney will also
file in for claims on your behalf and secure the necessary approval and
letter of probate in your favour for the move of the funds to an account
that will be provided by us.There is no risk involved at all in the matter
as we are going to adopt a legalized method and the attorney will prepare
all the necessary documents to give it the legal backing it requires.Once
the funds have been transferred to your nominated bank account,we shall
share in the ratio of 65%
for me, 30% for you and 5% will be for any expenses incurred by any partner
in the process of the transfer.Should you be interested,please send me your
full names and current residential address in order for the processing of
the docuemnts to commence and I will prefer you to reach me on private email
address(tanwongtw07@yahoo.com.hk) and i shall provide you with more details
of this operation.Umost discretion is required in the matter.

Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.
Regards,
Mr.Tan Wong.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam