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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
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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "stay blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Brian Olsen <vkhtan@bigpond.com>
Reply-To: brianolsen1@live.com
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 2:11:24 +1000
Subject: Business Offer


Dear Sir/Madam
I am Mr.Brian Olsen, and I work for Barclay's Bank London UK I am contacting you for a business transaction of a huge sum of money from a deceased client of mine.
I was the account officer of a foreigner named Bernard Poirier who died in an air crash along With his wife Noreauluce Poirier on the 31st October 1999 in an Egyptian airline 990 with other passengers on board (May their soul rest in peace).

You can confirm this(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/world/americas/502503.stm)

Since his death, no one has come to lay claims to his estate as his heir. The bank will not Release the funds from his account unless someone applied for claim as the next-of-kin/beneficiary to the deceased.After eight years the fund Was called back to the bank treasury as Unclaimed bills and the money shared amongst the directors of the bank, which has already been done by the directors mid 2004 at that period he had $14,210,045m (Fourteen Million two hundred and ten thousand dollars)in his account.

Due to the relationship between me and the deceased (Bernard Poirier) he told me of a diamond business Which he had to do and left me in care of the "CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT" which he Used to lodge some funds in Barclays Financial Vault Company London this is to the tune of $8.5m (Eight million five Hundred thousand dollars).That I decided to seek for whom his/her name shall be used as the Next of kin/beneficiary to claim the funds at the security firm rather than allow the funds to lay unclaimed. It may interest you to know that I have secured from the probate a WRITE OF MANDAMUS to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries again; no One was found.

Please acknowledge the receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavor by furnishing me with the Following informationâ ©f you are interested.

1. Full name in order for me to prepare the Document in your name.

2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers for our

Personal Contact and mutual Trust in each other.I shall be compensating you with 40% percent Of the Whole funds on final conclusion of this Project for your assistance. While the balance shall be for me for investment purposes because I just retired.

I await your urgent mail.(brianolsen1@live.com)

Stay blessed,

Regards

Brian Olsen

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam