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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:
  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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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)
  • "a security company " (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. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
• 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.
  • mrsrebeccagarang@aol.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Rebecca Garang." <mrsrebgarang@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:35:12 -0800
Subject: I NEED YOUR URGENT HELP


DEAR FRIEND,
Hello,
I am a widow .my husband died on a helicopter crash after his appointment =
as the vice president. What led to the helicopter crash is still unclear but =
I know that my husband was the =
target.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1716821,00.html
And i am under strict surveillance by the Sudan government as you may know =
and all my in and out going phone calls are systematically monitored. Please =
permit me to go into details. After the death of my husband that culminated =
to a ethnic violence in Sudan,not too long ago I conducted a search in his =
secret underground vault right inside the family house which hasn't been =
accessed since his death, I made some interesting discoveries, bank documents =
of $18.8Million dollar deposited in a Swiss bank, and a cash deposit of =
($10Million dollar) deposited with a security company in Europe. =
Unfortunately the Swiss account has been shutdown.
My aim of contacting you is to nominate you as the beneficiary of this =
deposit with the Security company in Europe for the transfer of this money =
to your account ,which i intend to invest in a lucrative business out there =
and If this offer is acceptable by you notify me immediately with your full =
contact details via
this my private email mrsrebeccagarang@aol.com
Best regards,
Mrs. Rebecca Garang.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam