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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.

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:
  • "million 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)
  • "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • private_em@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: banc meridian <meridiantrustbank@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:59:22 -0800 (PST)
Subject: BENEFICIARY SUM OF 12 MILLION POUNDS STERLING GB


SIR LUBETO MOYO
INVESTIGATION UNIT,
MERIDIAN TRUST BANK PLC
8 CANADA SQUARE
LONDON
E14 5HQ

SUBJECT: BENEFICIARY SUM OF 12 MILLION POUNDS STERLING GB.

I am seeking for your co-operation to present you to my bank as the next of kin/beneficiary to Mrs. Sigrid Fassnacht, a foreign contractor from Cologne, Germany who died on a plane crash on July 25th 2000 with her husband Rudi Fassnacht.
Her husband and their two children also perished in the air France Concorde New York bound flight; please click here for verification. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm, before her death, she was a contractor to British National Petroleum Co-operation (BNPC) and h as a bank balance with my bank to the tune of (12 million pounds sterling GBP) which will be paid to you as her next of kin/beneficiary. For your information, I am the Head of Investigation Department with MERIDIAN TRUST Bank Plc London.

The board of directors of MERIDIAN TRUST Bank Plc which I am also a member, mandated me to look for any known relation of Mrs. Sigrid Fassnacht, since after her death. However, all my efforts traces abortive, that is the main reason I am writing you this to ask for your co-operation for us to claim this money because it will amount to injustice if I do not take this decisive step to secure this deposit and invest it, because if nobody comes forward to claim the fund it will be forfeited to the government, based on that, I am contacting you to assist me in making this transaction a reality. I only have to approve you as the next of kin/beneficiary and the fund will be paid to you as the beneficiary.

We are to share this money between ourselves and also donate 10% to charity and the tsunami victims if you are really interested in this offer you should contact me through this email address:private_em@yahoo.com For details of this transaction and procedures, please do forward me your full address, phone number/mobile number, your company name or occupation these info will enable me commence immediately to secure all legal documents in your favor on your acceptance to fully co-operate with me. I await your urgent response to enable us jumpstart this project and nurture it to reality.

Faithfully,

LUBETO MOYO
MERIDIAN TRUST BANK PLC.
LONDON ENGLAND


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam