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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "trunk box" (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)
  • "million us 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)
  • "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "abidjan" (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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "SERAN WILLIAMS" <seran22010@yahoo.ca> (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:33:39 +0000
Subject: SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM SERAN WILLIAMS

Dearest One .
However strange or surprising this contact might seem to you as we have not met personally or had any dealings in the past. I must apologize forintruding into your private email address, but I humbly ask that you take due consideration of its importance and immense benefit it will be to you.
Briefly, I am a Sierra Leonean National and the Daugther of late Dr Paul Williams. Until his death , my Father was the General overseer of the Diamond Mine in Kamena Sierra Leone . On April 6th 2004 the military forces royal to the Government of AHMED TIJAN KABBAH invaded the diamond mine and assassinated my Father, mistaking him for his brother MICHAEL Williams who is the deputy of the leader of the Revolutionary United Front ( RUF) FODAY SANKOH. When the news reached me, I hurried gathered some valuables in our family villa and escaped for my dear life in the company of my only Brother Daniel.

Among the valuable was a file that contained details of a deposit my father made in a security company in Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire Here. He deposited ($7million US dollars) contained in a trunk box in my name as the next of kin. As containing family valuables money he made from the sale of Gold and Diamonds during his time as the General overseer, now that we are in Abidjan and verified the transaction, we need your assistance to move this funds out of Cote d’Ivoire for investment in your country as we cannot invest here due to its nearness to our country and the war still going on there. We ask you to scout for a viable and lucrative business, so that we can invest wisely. We have it in mind to give you 10% of the total sum( 7 million US Dollars ) , and 15% share in any investment we will embark upon if you assist us. We will also set aside 5% of the funds for ancillary expenses which you will make in course of this trnasaction –fax messages, phone calls, air tickets etc.
This fortune we have revealed to you should remain confidential as it only you who we have told about it.
Note that this transaction is risk free.
Best regards
Miss Seran

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam