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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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.

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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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 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.
  • jacobsababa_jb@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: mrjacobsababason <mrjacobsababason@orange.nl>
Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 04:14:37 +0100 (CET)
Subject: I await hearing from you urgently.


MR.Jacobs Ababa.
BANK OF AFRICA.
COTONOU BENIN.

Dear Friend,
This message might meet you in utmost surprise.However,it's just my urgent need for a foreign partner that made me to contact you over this transaction that would of a mutual benefit to the both of us.

I am a banker by profession from Cotonou Benin Republic in west Africa and currently holding the post of Director Auditing and Accounting unit of the bank.

I have the opportunity of transfering the left over funds ($11.5million) of one of my bank client,Christian Eich who died along with his entire family on 31st July 2000 in a plane crash.

You can confirm the genuiness of the deceased death by clicking on this web site.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

Hence,I am inviting you for a business deal to stand as the next of kin to the deceased customer and provide your account details for the transfer where this money can be shared between us in the ratio of 65/30 while 5% will be mapped out for expenses in the course of the transaction.

If you agree to my business proposal,further details of the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as I receive your reply.This is my private email:jacobsababa_jb@yahoo.com

Have a great day and remain blessed as you keep this transaction secret,till the money will be duely transfered into your nominated bank account.I await hearing from you urgently.

Regards
Jacobs Ababa

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam