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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.

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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million british 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "foreign payment department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • richardboothprivate2@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Richard Booth" <akudihas1@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: richardboothprivate2@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:11:24 -0800 (PST)
Subject: From: Mr. Richard Booth


Hello Friend,

I am Mr. Richard Booth, the Auditor and head of computing department of Alpha Bank Ltd here in London , United Kingdom . I discovered an account with total sum of (£20,000,000.00 GB) Twenty Million British Pounds Sterling Only, this account was opened in this bank in 1999 has not been operated for the past 7 years now and if i do not remit this money out urgently, it will be forfeited for nothing.

The owner of this account is Late Mr. Edward Han who was a foreigner and the Manager of Petol Chemical Services UK here in London , a chemical engineer by profession. Late Mr. Edward Han an American Citizen who was a private business man unfortunately lost his life in an automobile accident on January 28th 2001, including his wife and his only daughter and since the tragedy incident in the year 2001, nobody knows about this account or anything concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that his company does not know anything about this account and the amount involved is (£20,000,000.00 GB) Twenty Million British Pounds Sterling Only.

I want to transfer this money into a safe foreign account abroad but i don't know any foreigner, i am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to any local bank here in London, but can only be approved to any foreign account because the money is Pounds sterling's and the former owner of the account is Late Mr. Edward Han and he was a foreigner too. I know that this message will come to you as a surprise as we don't know ourselves before neither have we met, but be sure that it is real and a genuine business. I believe in God that you will never let me down in this investment.

I am contacting you because of the need to involve a foreigner with a foreign account to act as the next of kin because, after my investigation i also discovered that Late Mr. Edward Han's next of kin is his daughter who died with him. I need your co-operation to make this work fine, because the management of my bank is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has the correct information to this account, which i will give to you when sure of your capability to handle such amount in strict confidence and trust according to my instructions and my advice for our mutual benefit because I don't want to make any mistake, I need your strong assurance and trust. I shall destroy all documents concerning to this transactions immediately we receive this money leaving no trace at all.

I will use my position and influence on other staffs to effect the legal approvals and onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance from foreign payment department with you assuring me that this money will be intact pending my physical arrival in your country for onward sharing. At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 45% of the total amount while 50% will be for me and 5% will be for expenses, both parties might have incurred during the process of this transaction.

Let me have your confidential Telephone, Fax and mobile Numbers and also a contact address in response to this proposal If you are interested, please reply immediately to my private email address: (richardboothprivate2@yahoo.com.hk)

Sincerely Yours.

Mr. Richard Booth

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam