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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.

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:
  • "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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (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.
  • +2348087140298 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • riginaamh@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: oscar Samuel <oscarsamuell@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 11:07:10 -0800 (PST)
Subject: veru urgent


Chairman, Ecowas Contractor's
Debt Reconciliation / Appraisal Board,
Eco-Resource Board (ERB).
Lagos Nigeria.

Good day,

Account provision for transfer of $9.5 million USD

My name is Dr Oscar Samuel, Chairman Ecowas contract dept
reconciliation / appraisal boards. I am contacting you to inquire
from you if you can assist me safeguard funds amounting to $9.5
(Nine million five hundred thousand United States Dollars) left by our late foreign contractor whose provided address could not be traced since he died along with his families. You will be presented as the next of kin to the
deceases to enable our organisation transfer the money to you.

At the end of the transaction, you will be compensated with 30%
of the money. This transaction is 100% risk free but should be kept
secret and confidential due to my position in Ecowas.

I will give you more details about the transaction when I received
your affirmative response. You can contact my confidential secretary
Mrs. Rigina Amah at her secured E-mail address: riginaamh@yahoo.com

Note: Due to my position now, I have the deceased contract file with
me incase of any question from our organization when the deal started
and also the process to put claim on the funds as the next of kin will be legally
processed to avoid any breach of law of our countries.

Thanks for your understanding, looking forward to hear from you soonest and
also include your private phone number in your reply for easy communication.

Yours faithfully,
Dr Oscar Samuel
Tel.+2348087140298


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam