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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:
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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:

• 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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • barr_anthonystivens@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: anthonystivens@freenet.de
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:06:44 +0200
Subject: Message from Anthony Stivens.


Children & Families Law Firm
1-3 Brixton Rd London, SW9 6DE, United
Kingdom
Contact Person: Barr.Anthony Stivens Esq
Dear Friend,
I am
Barrister Anthony Stivens Esq, a solicitor at law. I am the personal
attorney to Mr.Tom Abraham,a national of your country, who is a Sole
Contractor to Chevron Oil Producing Company.Here in after shall be
referred to as my client,On the 25th of Decembar 2003, my client,on the
single reason of visiting his inlaws.His wife{A LEBANESE} and their only
daughter were involved in a Plane crash on their way home for the
holidays and were among the 111 people confirmed dead. Since then I have
made several inquiries to your embassy here to locate any of my
client\'s extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After
these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track over the
Internet to locate any member of his family or relative hence I
contacted you.
I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the fund
valued at US$20.7 MILLION (TWENTY MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED
STATES DOLLARS) Left behind by my client before it get Confiscated or
declared unserviceable by the Finance Firm where this huge amount was
deposited.
The said Finance Company has issued me a notice to provide
the next of kin or have the account confiscated in the next six
months.
For the fact that I have been unsuccessful in locating the
relatives since then I seek your consent to present you as the next of
kin to the deceased,so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to
you.Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, your share should
be 40% and the remaining 60% will be coming to me after the money is
been creditted in your chosen account. I can assist in procuring the
necessary information and legal documents that may be needed to
actualise this proposal.All I require from you is your honest
cooperation to enable us see this transaction through.
I guarantee that
this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you
from any breach of the law. Kindly reply to my private email:
barr_anthonystivens@hotmail.com
PLEASE VIEW
THE
WEBSITE:www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html
REGARDS.
Barr.Anthony
Stivens Esq.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam