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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)
  • "million united state 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)
  • ",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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "barrister" (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.
  • barbabs@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Ellams Babs" <ellams.babs1@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: barryb_ellams@post.ro
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 00:21:27 +0100
Subject: For Your Attention!


Dear Friend,

Hope you are fine today and your family too. I am sorry that I have to reach
you with this information without any previous or formal introduction. I am
Barrister Babs Ellams, an attorney to Late Engr. Mark, a national of your
country, who died in an auto crash alongside his entire family on 26th of
June, 2002.
I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and property left
by my late client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by
the bank.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating my client relatives for over
5years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the
deceased so that the proceeds of his account, operated with "Bank Of
Industry LTD" An affiliate of Bank For International Settlements, valued at
Fifteen Million United State Dollars (US$15,000,000.00) can be paid to you.

Once the transfer is concluded, I will come over to receive my share of the
proceed. You will be entitled to 40% of the total sum.
I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from any breach of the law.

For more clarification and discuss, please do get back to me through my
confidential mailto address: barbabs@excite.com.
Best regards.


Barrister Babs Ellams
Attorney & Counselors At Law.


Note: This transaction is legal and does not contravene any known Law.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam