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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:
  • "processing fee" (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. )
  • "economic and financial crime commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348034683250 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • efccng@gawab.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "EFCC NIG" <efccng10@mailbox.hu>
Reply-To: efccng@gawab.com
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 14:16:57 +0000
Subject: EFCC.


* *

* ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIME COMMISSION NIGERIA.*

* May,
2008
*

* Office of
the Executive Chairman*

* Email; **
efccng@gawab.com* <efccng@gawab.com>

* Attn: Beneficiary, *

*Firstly I have to let you know that the Federal Government Of Nigeria has
mandated my office to make sure that funds of foreign beneficiaries are been
transferred without any illegal charges.*

*So my dear, as much as I will like to help you get this fund transferred
without any illegal charges, you will have to help me by adhering to
instructions. *

*Secondly, you will have to pay a processing fee of $250 which will be used
to process your documents. Please bear in mind that due to limited funds
from the $10billion budget made by the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pay
off foreign beneficiaries, this bank will only pay or transfer $2.7million
to you and the balance of what you are been owed will come later October
2008. *

*Here is my telephone number 234 803 468 3250 you can as well forward me
yours for a faster and easy communication. *

*Regards,*

*Dr. Ibrahim Lamorde
Executive Chairman (EFCC).
*

* *

* *

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam