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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "industrial and commercial bank of china" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "keep this confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Beth Rogers" <bethrogers_icbc@walla.com>
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 11:58:59 GMT
Subject: PLACEMENT PROPOSAL


Dear Friend,=20

I got your contact over the internet as a trustworthy and reliable person, =
please pay attention and understand my reason of contacting you today =
through this medium; I am Mr. Shen Shisheng, General Manager with the =
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Hong Kong.=20

Visit our bank website at http://www.icbcasia.com/eng/index.shtml=20

I am the account officer to a foreign customer, Late Mr. Morris Thompson, =
an American who unfortunately lost his life and that of his family in the =
plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, which crashed on January 31 =
2000. You may read more about the crash on visiting this C.N.N=20
News internet website below.=20

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list=20

Most importantly, you will be required to:=20

=5B1=5D. Act as the next of kin/beneficiary to the funds.=20
=5B2=5D. Receive the funds into a private bank account.=20

I desperately need your assistance to secure and move huge sums of money =
left behind by our late customer which amount US=2429 Million United State =
Dollars, The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the =
ratio of 50% for me and 40% for you. A further 10% will be used to write =
off any expenses incurred in the course of transferring the principal sum. =
I will give you more details, on your positive response.=20

If you prefer to be re-contacted for more express information, please send =
me your:=20

=5B1=5D Full Names:=20
=5B3=5D Direct Telephone No:=20

I await your respond if you are capable of being my partner in this =
transaction, please keep this confidential or disregard this proposal if =
you are not interested.=20

Yours faithfully,=20

Mr. Beth Rogers.=20
General Manager=20
Industrial Commercial Bank of China=20
18/F, Fairmont House, 8 Cotton Tree Drive,=20
Central, Hong Kong.=20
Email: bethrogers1.icbc=40hotmail.com=20

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam