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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• 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)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Francis Croiseau" <franciscroiseau@peru.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:50:34 +0000
Subject: From: Mr.Francis CROISEAU


From: Mr.Francis CROISEAU

The Auditor General,

The International bank for Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Burkina

Ouagadougou Burkina faso

Bank Web:www.biciab.bf

Dear Friend,

I am Mr.Francis CROISEAU, The Auditor General, (BICIAB) and i know that
this letter will meet your person in surprice but i want you to bear with me
because it is as the urgency warrants.Here in my Department i discovered a
record of a dormant sum of ($4.200.000 U.S) FOUR MILLION TWO HUNDRED
THOUSAND US DOLLARS). In an account that belongs to one of our foreign
customer from AMERICA who died along with his entire family in November 2004
in a plane crash.
Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his
relative to come for the claim because the man died with his only son who is
the next of kin and unfortunately nobody have come for the claim because it
happens to be that none of his family members know about the funds.This is
because the deceased was residing permanently here in my country Burkina
Faso with his family that died alongside with him while going to his home
country (USA) through Paris.
The Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money lingers
dormant and unclaimed for a long time, the funds will be transferred Into
the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of a foreigner as the Next
of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the deceased customer
is a foreigner and a Burkinabe cannot stand as the next of kin.Dear this is
suppose to take us only few bank working days to conclude on the transfer
for I have put everything in place before contacting you and there is no
risk. I want to hearing from you so that I can give you a drafted
application of claim with the informations of the deceased and it's account
to forward to the bank for the release of the funds to you as the bonafied
beneficiary of the dormant funds.I have agreed to share with you 60%/40% of
the total fund and I don't want to experience any atom of disappointment as
the funds hits your account.

Thanks Yours sincerely

Mr.Francis CROISEAU .

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam