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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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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "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)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "dormant account" (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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • attorney_john_lane@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: fidiciuary management <n_l_2007@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <gre_itoro@yahoo.it>
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:46:39 +0000
Subject: FROM JOHN LANE



ATTENTION FRIEND IS MY PLEASURE TO CONTACT YOU OVER THESE TRANSACTION AND I HOPE FOR YOUR ASSISTANT I DISCOVERED A DORMANT ACCOUNT IN MY OFFICE, AS A GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR WITH A BANK IN LONDON. PRESENTLY THE MONEY IS IN AN ESCROW ACCOUNT. IT WILL BE IN MY INTEREST TO TRANSFER THIS FUND WORTH (£500,000.00) FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUND IN AN ACCOUNT OFFSHORE. IF YOU CAN ASSIST ME IN GETTING THE MONEY TRANSFERRED SO THAT WE CAN INVEST THE MONEY AND ALSO ESTABLISH PARTNERSHIP CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY ON MY PRIVATE EMAIL: ATTORNEY_JOHN_LANE@YAHOO.CO.UK REMEMBER THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENTIAL. REGARDS AND RESPECT,
JOHN LANE (ESQ)
. GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR
_________________________________________________________________
Who's friends with who and co-starred in what?
http://www.searchgamesbox.com/celebrityseparation.shtml

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam