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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:
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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.

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)
  • "million british pounds" (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.
  • williamcole@excite.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "williamfund@terra.es" <williamfund@terra.es>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 08:17:39 +0200 (MEST)
Subject: Dear Friend!



Dear Friend,

Do accept my sincere apologies if my mail does not meet your personal ethics. I would like to introduce myself, I am William Cole and I work with the staff in the accounts management section of a well-known bank here in the United Kingdom.

One of our accounts is holding a balance of £15,000,000 (fifteen million British Pounds) and has been dormant for the past 3 years. From my investigations and confirmations, the owner of this account is a foreigner by name of Mr. Gerald Stone who died on the 4th of January 2002 in a planecrash in Birmingham here in the UK.

Since then no one has responded in anyway in regards to claiming the funds. As far as we can tell he has no family member who are aware of the existence of either the
account or the funds. Information from the National Immigration Office also
states that he was single on entry into the UK.

I have confidentially discussed this issue with some of the bank officials and
we have agreed to find a reliable foreign partner to deal with us. We thus
propose to do business with you, standing in as the next of kin. We will process these funds from the deceased and release them to you, after due processes have been followed.

This transaction is totally risk free as the fund is legitimate and does not originate from
drug, money laundry, terrorism or any other illegal act. Think this over and should you be interested, please let me hear from you.

Regards,

MR WILLIAMS COLE
williamcole@excite.co.uk





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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam