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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
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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.

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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge sum of money" (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)
  • "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)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: MARTINS. <fmartins@sibmail.com>
Reply-To: FMARTINS200@YAHOO.IT
Date: 12 Mar 2008 08:06:32 -0800
Subject: COMPLIMENT OF THE DAY SIR, YOUR REPLY

Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit


DEAR FRIEND

FIRST, I MUST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION; THIS IS BY VIRTUE OF ITS NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL AND TOP SECRET. THOUGH I KNOW THAT A TRANSACTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL MAKE ANY ONE
APPREHENSIVE AND WORRIED, BUT I AM ASSURING YOU THAT ALL WILL BE WELL AT THE END OF THE DAY. I HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU BECAUSE OF THE URGENCY OF THIS TRANSACTION.

LET ME START BY FIRST INTRODUCING MYSELF PROPERLY TO YOU, I AM .MR.FEMI MARTINS. THE AUDITOR OF STALLION BANK PLC. I GOT YOUR CONTACT FROM THE BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY AND FOREIGN TRADE DIVISION WHILE SEARCHING FOR A RELIABLE AND A REPUTABLE PERSON TO HANDLE A VERY
CONFIDENTIAL TRANSACTION, WHICH INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF HUGE SUM OF MONEY TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT REQUIRING MAXIMUM CONFIDENCE.

A FOREIGNER, FROM ATLANTA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LATE GEORGE BRUMLEY,A PHYSICIAN/CONTRACTOR WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA UNTIL HIS DEATH IN A GHASTLY AIR CRASH, WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN A
PLANE CRASH THAT TOOK PLACE IN KENYA, EAST AFRICA. PLEASE, VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/07/20/kenya.crash/index.html

LATE GEORGE BRUMLEY HAD IN HIS DOMICILLIARY ACCOUNT WITH US AN EQUIVALENT OF US$24.5MILLION AS CLOSING BALANCE. THE LAST ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING(AGM) DECIDED AND EXPECTED THAT THIS CLOSING BALANCE OF US$24.5MILLION

WILL BE CLAIMED BY LATE GEORGE BRUMLEY'S RELATIVE AS FOREIGN NEXT OF KIN OR BE DONATED AS UNCLAIMED TO A TRUST FUND FOR ARMS AND AMMUNITION AT MILITARY WAR COLLEGE HERE IN NIGERIA. THIS IDEA IS MOST UNRESONABLE HENCE I HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE THIS STEP.

FERVENT EFFORTS MADE BY THE STALLION BANK PLC TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ANY OF THE GEORGE'S FAMILY OR RELATIVES ALL HAVE PROVED ABORTIVE. AS A RESULT OF THIS, OUR CHAIRMAN AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DECLEARING
THE FUND "UNCLAIMABLE".AS AN INSIDER AND ACTUAL AUDITOR OF THE ACCOUNT, I HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU TO ACT AS THE LATE GEORGE BRUMLEY'S NEXT OF KIN AND BENEFICIARY IN ORDER FOR YOU TO RECIEVE THIS FUND AS INHERITANCE CLAIM FOR THE BENEFIT OF BOTH PARTIES. ALL DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED TO
PERFECT THIS WILL BE IN PLACE ONCE YOU INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE, FOR YOUR ROLE IN THE TRANSACTION. YOU WILL KEEP 40% FOR YOUR SELF, 5% TO REIMBURSE US FOR ANY EXPENSES WE MAY INCUR IN THE COURSE OF THE TRANSACTION, INCLUDING OUR PHONE BILLS OR TRAVEL EXPENSES AND THE
55% LEFT WILL BE FOR ME.

IF THIS PROPOSAL IS OK AND YOU WISH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TRUST I HERE BESTOW ON YOU AND YOUR COMPANY KINDLY GET TO ME IMMEDIATELY FURNISHING ME WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION STATED BELOW: 1. YOUR FULL NAME, YOUR
CONTACT ADDRESS AND YOUR MOST CONFIDENTIAL TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS, AGE& OCCUPATION SO THAT I CAN FORWARD TO YOU THE DETAILS OF THIS TRANSACTION. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE RESPONSE WILL BE MOST APPRECIATED TO ENABLE ME KNOW THE WAY FORWARD. I PLEASE GET IN TOUCH
WITH ME BY MY EMAIL:fmartins@sibmail.com ,I WILL BE WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.
BEST REGARDS,
MR.FEMI MARTINS.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam