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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "DADA SMITH" <da_smith30@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: dadasmithh@sify.com
Date: Wed, 02 May 2007 17:42:33 -0500
Subject: letter from dada smith

Dear friend,

IT IS MY HUMBLE PLEASURE TO SINCERELY APPOLOZISE FOR
CONTACTING YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME THROUGH EMAIL.THOUGH
IT IS THE FASTEST MEANS OF COMMUNICATION BUT NOT
DISCREET FOR A PRIVATE BUSINESS DEAL WITH SOMEBODY YOU
HAVE NEVER MET BEFORE.

My name is Dada Smith a personal assistant to Late Mr Larry Baldridge . I am
writing in respect of a foreign customer of Euro Credit and Laons Bank (Mr.
Larry Baldridge, from Connecticut, USA) who perished in the plane crash of
31 October 1999[with Egyptian airline 990] with his wife,only daughter and
other passengers on aboard.

Sir, since the demise of Mr. Larry Baldridge, I personally have watched with
keen interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as no one
has come to claim his funds of USD 30m, [Thirty Million United States
Dollars] which has been with our bank here for a very long time. On this
note I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the Next of Kin,
as no one has come up to put claim as the Next of Kin or Beneficiary to this
funds andthe banking ethics here does not allow such money to stay more than
five years, because after four years the money will be called back to the
bank treasury as unclaimed bill.

In view of this I got your contact through the British foreign Trade
Bilateral mission after I was convinced in my mind that your Name/Company
could be used as the Next of Kin to this claim. The request of a foreigner
as the Next of Kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the
customer was a foreigner and a Briton cannot stand as the next of kin to a
foreigner.I agreed that 30% of this money will be for you as a foreign
partner in respect of providing an account while 10% will take of any
expenses that might be incurred in the process of succeeding the transfer
and the rest will be for me. Thereafter I will visit your country for
disbursement, as I am almost due for retirement.

I will not fail to bring to your notice, that this business is hitch/risk
free and that you should not entertain any fear, as the whole required
arrangement has been perfected for the transfer.

Hoping to hearing from you soonest.
Best regards,
Mr. Dada Smith

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam