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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.

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "federal republic of benin" (Benin is no Federal Republic, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found 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.
  • massr207@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: ssmbh ssmbh <ssmbh01@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: ssmbh2008@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 05:35:17 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Reply asap


Dear Friend
Firstly, not to cause you embarrassment,I am Mr Jerry Williams from
federal republic of Benin[cotonuo] an account officer with Mr.Sean Gates .He was a Seasoned Contractor with Benin Global telecomunication ltd Benin Republic and global system mobiletelephone [GSM]in Nigeria respectively.
Unfortunately I never knew that he was into drug adition as he is right now in a rehabilitation centre in London,under going treatment.
My purpose of sending this e-mail to you is to ask you to assist me by providing your foreign bank account number so that I will transfer the draft issued to us on the 8/23/2207 into your custody and I will give will you some commission.
This draft came as an over invoiced in the contact we hanled in Nigeria telecommunication .
As matter of fact,I have the copy of the draft with me dated 8/23/07.
The reason for my action is that when I called him on 25/8/2007 to inform him that the draft is out, his wife told me that the authority left an instruction that no one could see him or talk to him till next two years.
I then asked the wife that this order is not for me since we are like one family and she said that she knew but the reason is that they want to put off the people that do supply him with the hard drugs.
Please do contact me and I will send you the copy of the draft which was issued to us but in his name ok.
I have talked to the telecommunication company and they said that the can help by re-issueing the payment in a new name I may wish the draft to be directed to[beneficiary]
Thanks and you can also email me on massr207@yahoo.com
Mr Jerry Williams

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam