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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.

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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)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
  • chris_bent997@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Chris Bent" <chris_bent28@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: chris_bent997@excite.com
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2007 10:10:36 +0100
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL

Attention,
 
I have gone through your payment file as directed by the Authority, and seen
that it is 100% impossible for your money to be released due to some
irregularities detected in your file.  During our investigation, we found
out that you have spent so much in trying to realize your payment, which did
not even reflect in your file, but I  have an offer, which will at least
help you recover your financial stand loses.
 
This offer is an amount from Federal Government left over. It is a total sum
of US$55,000,000.00 (Fifty-five Million United States Dollars), which will
be shared between you and I in the ratio of 50% - 50%.  This amount is not
from your payment  or have any thing related to your payment rather it is a
left over from the amount mapped out for all settlement of debts by ECOWAS
in general.

I am offering you this because I have seen that your payment file has been
cancelled due to the anomalies associated with it and revocation of the
ECOWAS Foreign Exchange Dealership License due to the corrupt indebtedness
of its officials and all ECOWAS Nations including Nigeria. 
 
The only thing needed for this $55 million to be transferred to your account
under 48 hours are as follow: -
 
1. A bank account co-ordinates where the money will be transferred into.
 
2. US$1500.00 (One Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars Only), which
will be needed to normalize and remove the and (Post-No-Debit) from the
account and also to obtain a Sworn Affidavit of Ownership of funds at the
Federal High Court of Justice. The funds are on automatic Post-No-Debit
order, which needs to be removed.
 
For your information, this is not a contract payment or inheritance. 
Therefore there will be no bureaucracy or misfortune.  Please note that if
you are willing to make this deal with me, you should contact me immediately
on this email furnishing me with your account co-ordinates.  Also be
informed that this transaction will take us just 48 hours to accomplish. If
you wish for me to furnish the account co-ordinates where the money is
presently lodged for verification, I will do so to clear any doubts or fears
from your past experience.
 
Yours truly,  
 
MR. CHRIS BENT                                     
chris_bent997@excite.com

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam