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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • richardjohnson_111@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Johnson Richard" <richardjohnson4@mailbox.hu>
Reply-To: richardjohnson_222a@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 21:11:06 +0100
Subject: VERY URGENT AND HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL.!!!


*FROM THE DESK OF MR DADA SMITH
UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC
LAGOS.


VERY CONFIDENTIAL.

I am the manager of Foreign Account Department of the Union Bank Plc. I am
writing you this letter to ask for your support and co-operation to carry
out this transaction. We discovered an abandoned Sum of US$20Million (Twenty
Million U.S Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign
customer who died along side his entire family in November 2002 in a plane
crash in Lagos.Since this development, we have advertised for his next kin
or any close relation to come forward to claim this money, but nobody came
to apply for the claim.

To this effect, I and two other officials in my department have decided to
look for a trusted foreign partner who can stand in as the next of kin to
the deceased and claim this money. We need a foreign partner to apply for
the claim because of the fact that the customer was a foreigner. And we dont
want this money to go into the banks treasure as unclaimed fund.Every
document to affect this process will emanate from table and I will perfect
every document to be in accordance with the banking law and guidelines so
you have nothing to worry about.All we require from you is to provide a bank
account in your name or your company name where the money will be transferd
to and deposited.

We have agreed that 30% of the money will be for you, 10% for expenses
incurred on the both side while 60% will be for my colleagues and I. If you
are going to help me, indicate by replying this letter and putting
in your Personal Info

1, Your full name
2, Your Home Address
3, Your Phone Number
4, Occupation
5, Country
6, Age

I await your immediate reply to enable us start this transaction in earnest.
Once I receive your reply, I will send you the modalities for immediate
application of claim.*

*Please reply to my alternate email for quick response to my email: **
richardjohnson_111@yahoo.fr* <richardjohnson_111@yahoo.fr>*

Thanks for your anticipated assistance.

Regards
Richard Johnson.*

**

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam