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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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• 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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "trunk box" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "trunk boxes" (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)
• 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.
  • mr.tonyemil@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Tony E. Smith" <mr.tony.es2@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 00:25:31 +0000
Subject: Dear Friend,(please reply very urgent,

Dear Friend,

I am Mr TONY SMITH Bank Manager of Lloyds TSB bank Tower Bridge Road
London . I have urgent and very confidential business proposition for you.

Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you to stand in as the
owner of the money I deposited in a security company in two trunk
boxes though the security company does not know the contents of the
boxes as I tagged them to be photographic materials for export. I am
writing you because I as a public servant (Manager with the bank), I
cannot operate a foreign account or have an account that is more than
$1m. If this proposal is acceptable to you, please get back to me
(mr.tonyemil@yahoo.co.uk) so that i tell you how the money come and we can
work out a remuneration for your participation in the transaction,and also
let you know on how we hope to achieve this objective.

Please reply so that we work out means of getting this done.Endeavor to
give me your most confidential email address, phone and fax numbers for
efficient and effective communication.

Sincerely Yours,
Mr Tony E. Smith
Manager
mr.tonyemil@yahoo.co.uk

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam