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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:

• 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:
  • "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. )
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • droesq@swissmail.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: DESMOND RUPERT <dro_esq04@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <rupertesq@katamail.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2007 10:01:12 +0000
Subject: Attention:Zuhair.


Attention:Zuhair.

I am Desmond Rupert O'Connor, a legal practitioner and personal attorney to late Engineer M.N Zuhair an international contractor in the oil industry before his untimely demise on the 27th of September 2003 United Kingdom.

Before his death, I assisted him in the deposit of some contract funds valued at $22 million with a bank. The funds have remained unclaimed since his death and such unclaimed funds are appropriated and returned tothe treasury after 4 years as a matter of banking policy. Considering
the lack of success in my bid to locate any of his relatives for over 3 years now, I here by solicit your consent to enable me present you to the bank as the beneficiary Next of Kin to my deceased client.

I am contacting you for two reasons. Firstly, you both share the same origin name,which makes the claim logical and credible. Secondly,I strongly believe that the Bank does not deserve to confiscate the funds and these reasons led to my resolve to contact you to claim the funds.

Know that this deal is 100% risk free because I have in my possession the personal file of the deceased which contains some of the information we shall need to prove your legal relationship with my late client, which means that the fund will definitely be paid into the account of whoever I present to the bank as his next of kin. Moreover this is a legal and risk free transaction that does not in anyway hamper or contravene the monetary laws of your country because it is an inheritance fund.

All I require from you is your assurance that my share of the funds shall be held in trust for me when it is released into your account by he bank. Be rest assured that the fund shall be released to you by the bank upon presenting all the necessary legal documents that will be used to substantiate whatever claim we make on your behalf at the bank.

On my receipt of your consenting reply, i shall give you a detailed briefing on this proceedings.

I await your immediate response,i appeal to your sense of fairness,
Reply Urgently.

Regards,
Desmond Esq.
droesq@swissmail.net

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam