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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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)
  • "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)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "a reliable and reputable person to handle this" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +22997542032 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: edwin konou <dr_edwinkonou21@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <dr_edwinkonou07@myway.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 01:49:17 +0100
Subject: DEAR I NEED YOUR TRUST



From Dr Edwin Konou
Phone nomber 00229-97542032Corporate Office Of Institutional Banking Bills and ExchangeAfrican Development Bank 73 Portnovo Road Cotonou Benin-Rep. West Africa.Dear FriendFirst I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue of it's nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring that this is real and genuine.I am the Bills and Exchange Manager of African Development Bank Cotonou. I came to know you in my private search for a reliable and reputable person to handle this Confidential Transaction, which involves the transfer of a huge sum of money to a foreign account requiring maximum confidence. MY PROPOSITION; We discovered an abandoned sum Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$10.500,000) in an account that belongs to one of our customers (Alhaji Mohammed Dourri) who died along with his wife and entire family on December 26, 2003 on board. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims for this money.We cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines, unfortunately, no family member nor relative has ever appeared to claim the said fund. Upon this discovery, we now seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin to the deceased so that the fund (US$10,500,000) can be released and paid into your account as the beneficiary's next of kin, otherwise the fund will be returned to Government treasury as unclaimed funds.All documents to enable you receive this funds will be carefully worked out. Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavour by furnishing me with the following;1. Your name and full address 2. Direct Telephone and fax linesThese requirements will enable us file letters of claim to the appropriate funds transfer department for necessary approvals in your country.For your confirmations,you can visit this website for more info visit:http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/ If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust we have bestowed in you, I await your urgent reply. Yours sincerely,Dr Edwin KonouBills and Exchange ManagerAfrican Development Bank Cotonou.
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam