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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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)
  • "million pounds" (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 british pounds" (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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "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)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Frank Dennis" <sirgodwinee@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: frank_den44@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:54:31 +0800 (CST)
Subject: URGENT REPLY NEEDED ( FROM MR. FRANK DENNIS)


>From Mr. Frank Dennis

Dear Friend,

writing to seek your consent in a private and confidential matter regarding some funds unaccounted for in my bank here in Africa during the last 2007 business year. I need assistance from a trustworthy and reliable person whom I will fill in as the beneficiary.

Your major role would be to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank account immediately to receive this money and get 30% of the total funds as commission.

There are practically no risks involved, the transaction will be executed
under a legitimate arrangement that will protect us from any breach of the law, it will be simply a bank- to-bank transfer, and all I need from you is to stand claim as the beneficiary/next of kin to who made the deposit with my branch so that my head office can order the transfer to your designated bank account under few banking days.

I am Mr. Frank Dennis, the regional manager of this Bank, I write you this proposal in good faith; I am married with kids. It is my duty as the regional manager to send in financial report to my head office at the end of each business year.

On the course of the last year business report, I discovered the sum of
fourty million British pounds (40,000,000.00 GBP) belonging to a foriengn Industrialist Kenneth Gardner who died without a beneficiary, in my branch in which I am the manager.Our head office is not aware of and will never be aware of it. I have placed this funds on what we call escrow call account with no beneficiary and as an officer of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, hence I contacted you.

If you accept to work with me I will appreciate it very much as you are the first and the only person I am contacting for this transaction.

We will start the first transfer with sixteen million pounds,upon successful transaction without any disappointment from your side,we shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining amount to your account.

I shall resign from my job and bring my family to start a new life in your
country.I would be grateful if you would help me in looking out for good
investment oppurtunities with my own part of the money in a very profitable business. I have worked for this bank for the past 15 years yet I have nothing to show for it, I really need your assistance to secure this fund as soon as possible.

send me mail: as soon as you receive this message if you think we can work together, so that we can go over the details. Send also your Private Mobile and fax numbers for a more proper elaboration.

Truly yours,
Mr. Frank Dennis



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam