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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "first national bank" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +22993697752 (Benin, probably a 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.
  • blessedventureprivate1@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr Andre Williams <blessedventureprivate1@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:30:12 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Blessed Venture...


From the desk of:- Mr Andre Williams.
First National Bank Cotonou Benin,
Address:- CARRE N° 150-151 AVELEKTE CONJI
CABOMA, COTONOU, REP. DU BENIN.
Direct Phone Line: +229-93-697-752
Private E-mail:- blessedventureprivate1@yahoo.com

Good Morning My Good Friend.

Dearest...

I am Mr Andre Williams., a credit officer with a here in Bank Cotonou Benin,and personal account manager to an expartriate who used to work with Benin Total Oil Company(B.T.O.C). On the 2nd of January 2005, I recieved a call that my client died in the Tsunami Disaster with his wife and two kids while on vacation at Phuket Island in Thailand.Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my client's extended relatives. This has proved unsuccessful.

I have contacted you to assist inrepartriating the money left behind by my client before it gets confiscated ordeclared unserviceable by the bank.Particularly, the bank where the deceased had an account valued at 9,500,000.00(Nine Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars). The bank hasissued me a notice to provide the next-of-kin or have the account confiscated.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the biological relatives of my late client, I hereby seek your consent to present you to the bank as next-of-kin ofthe deceased since you are a foreigner, so that the proceeds of this account valued at 9.5M can be transfered to you as inheritance and thereafter, you andme can share the money; 50 to me and 35 to you, while 5 will be donated to theTsunami Disaster Charity Fund, and 10 for expenditures.

I have original copy of Certificate of Deposit of the funds, which will be usedto substantiate our inherittance claims. All I require is your consent and honest co-operation to enable us see the deal through.

Furthermore, I guarantee that the transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Pleasecontact me via email to enable us discuss further.Thanks and remain blessed as I will be looking forward to read from you soonest.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Andre Williams.
Credit Officer
Direct Phone Line: +229-93-697-752
Private E-mail:- blessedventureprivate1@yahoo.com



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam