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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)
  • "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "huge sum of money" (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)
  • "million 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: kwame halima <kwamehalima24@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <kwamehalima@myway.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:56:46 +0000
Subject: Re;My good friend


>From Mr Kwame Halima International Commercial Bank Of Ghana Republic Of Ghana west Africa Dear Friend I am Mr Kwame Halima. I am accounting officer in foriegn accounts department of our bank International Commercial Bank Of Ghana. During our last auditing in our Bank,My Department came across a very huge sum of money (US$8.5 million dollars) Eight million five hundred thousand dollars,belonging to a deceased customer of our Bank a Forigner Mr Manfred Gregory Marschall,who died in a plane crash at Benin on 12 DEC 2003 with other passengers aboard. Since then I have made several enquiries to foriegn embassy here to locate any of our clients extended relatives, this has proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet, to locate any of his family member but of no avail. hence I contacted you for you are a forigner as our late customer. I need your assistance in evacuation of the funds left behind by our client in the Bank before they get confisicated or declared unserviceable by the Government, because official, financial laws here stipulate it that after five years any fund or assets deposited with bank/security firm without claim or servicing, the money or assets will be divert to central bank as unclaime bill. since I have been unsuccesfull in locating the relatives for over 2 years now, I seek your concent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you are a Forigner so that the proceeds of this deposit valued at $8.5 million dollars can be paid to you and we share the money 60/40, I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up claim we may make. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this business will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. You have to assure me that you will not sit on the fund when it is finally claimed by you. Expecting your quick response Best regards, Mr Kwame Halima

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam