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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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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "top secret" (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: "abdul hamza" <abdulhamza1@latinmail.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:26:34 +0100 (CET)
Subject: Extremly confidential reply urgently!!


FROM THE DESK OF MR ABDUL HAMZA.
MANAGER BILL AND EXCHANGE.
BANK OF AFRICA.(B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU,BURKINA FASO.
WEST AFRICA.
=20
RE: TRANSFER OF ($27,500.000.00 USD)
(TWENTY SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS)
=20
DEAR FRIEND,
=20
THIS SHORT MEMO WOULD CERTAINLY COME TO YOU AS SURPRISE DUE TO THE FACT=
THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCE WITH EACH OTHER INSP=
ITE OF THIS, I WILL APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WILL PERMIT ME TO INFORM YOU =
OF MY DESIRE TO EXECUTE A BUSINESS WITH YOU WHICH WILL CERTAINLY BE OF=
A MUTUAL BENEFIT TO BOTH OF US.

I AM THE BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER OF BANK OF AFRICA (BOA), OUAGADOUG=
OU BURKINA FASO. I HOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT EXPOSE OR BETRAY THIS TRUST =
AND CONFIDENT THAT I AM ABOUT TO REPOSE ON YOU FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT O=
F OUR BOTH FAMILIES.

I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF ($27.5)MILLIO=
N TWENTY SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLAR TO YOUR ACCOUNT=
WITHIN 10 OR 14 BANKING DAYS. THIS MONEY HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR YEARS IN=
OUR BANK WITHOUT CLAIM.

I WANT THE BANK TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEAREST PERSON TO OU=
R DECEASED CUSTOMER(THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT)DIED ALONG WITH HIS SUPPOS=
ED NEXT OF KIN IN AN AIR CRASH SINCE JULY 2000.FOR MORE INFORMATION ABO=
UT THE CRASH YOU CAN VISIT THIS site:(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/=
europe/859479.stm)=20

I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR BANK TREASURER AS AN ABANDONED FU=
ND. SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU SO THAT THE BANK CAN RELE=
ASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED CUSTOMER. PLEAS=
E I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL AS A TOP SECRET AND DELETE IT =
IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED.UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY I WILL GIVE YOU FU=
LL DETAILS ON HOW THE BUSINESS WILL BE EXECUTED AND ALSO, NOTE THAT YOU=
WILL HAVE 30% OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED SUM IF YOU AGREE TO HANDLE THIS B=
USINESS WITH ME.WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

THANKS.
YOURS TRULY,
MR ABDUL HAMZA. (B.O.A)
=20


La carrera hacia la Casa Blanca, a un click de distancia http://www.sta=
rmedia.com/noticias/especiales/gobiernousa.html

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam