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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "are expected to pay " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "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)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Corbin, Shameika S" <scorbin@uncfsu.edu>
Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 13:28:28 -0400
Subject: Message From Mrs. Emily Jackman Olivier (very important)

GREETINGS!
I am sure this mail would be coming to you as a surprise since we have never met before and you would also be asking why I have decided to choose you amongst the numerous internet users in the world, precisely I cannot say why I have chosen you but do not be worried for I come in peace and something very positive is about to happen to your life right now and to the lives of others through you, if only you can carefully read and digest the message below. The internet has made the world a global village where you can reach anybody you have not met before.

Before I move further, permit me to give you a little of my biography, I am Mother Emily Olivier, 87 Years old woman and the wife of Late Sir Jackman Olivier who died in a Plane crash on Monday the 7th of September 1998 GMT 14:22 UK while they were flying from New York to Geneva.Please see site below for more information. http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html


After the death of my husband I became the Head of his investment and now that I am old and weak I have decided to spend the rest of my life with my family and loved ones whom I never had time for during the course of my business life, but before the death of my husband we had a plan to use the last days of our lives to donate half of what we have worked for to the less privilege and charity homes and the other half for ourselves, family members and close friends, and it is so unfortunate that my husband is not alive today to do this with me and I am very weak and old now, hence I have decided to do this philanthropic work on behalf of my late husband and I.
Presently, I have willed out almost half of our assets to several charity homes and to some of the less privilege in different countries.


Despite the agreement between my late husband and I to give aid to the deprived, we also agreed to render support to an individual we have not meet before in life due to the fact when we were still young in life we receive an anonymous help from an individual we did not know and which we have not being able to know till date, the impact we got from such gesture made us to do same.


I am sorry to inform you that you will never have the chance to know me because I have just concluded the assignment which my husband and I have agreed upon before his sudden death and you happened to be the beneficiary of our last WILL, irrespective of your previous financial status, hence I need you to do me a favor by accepting our offer that will cost you nothing.


I have presently deposited a Cheque in the sum of 5,800,000.00 British Pound with FedEx express to deliver to you, what you have to do now is to contact the FedEx COURIER SERVICE as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to you because of the expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium and Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque showing that it is not a Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country.


You have to contact the FedEx COURIER SERVICE now for the delivery of your cheque with this information bellow;


Contact Person: Mr. Mark Robbins
Email Address:fedexukw@live.co.uk


Again, you are not to pay for the delivering Charge, the Insurance premium and the Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque because I have already paid for them, the only money you are expected to pay is £ 155.34 British Pounds for the security keeping of the cheque so far. I would have paid the fee but the company insisted that I should not because they don't know when you will be contacting them and to avoid demurrage or further cost.


You are to reconfirm the below information to them to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask them to give you the tracking number to enable you track your package over there and know when it will get to your address.


Postal address:
Full Names:
Direct telephone number:
Security Keeping Code:


Below is the security keeping code: (SCT/0433/WIL) of you draft, you are to also present it to them for verification before delivery.


Let me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to ask them to provide you with the method they wish to use in receiving their security keeping fee of £ 155.34 British Pounds for their immediate action.


Note: Please I do not want you to thank me or my husband all I need you to do is to invest wisely with it and do the same good to someone's life someday as this is the only way this world would be a better community if we render selfless services to one another.


Be also notified that I will no longer be reading my emails or surfing the internet as I have retired completely from the outside world to my ranch, at this moment I have nothing to do with cars, emails and other luxuries, all further correspondence should be forwarded to the courier company for the delivery of your cheque to you.


Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Emily Jackman Olivier.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam