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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "necessary legal documents" (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. )
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • "million us 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)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +2348025488727 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "okoyewilliams12 Gazeta.pl" <okoyewilliams12@gazeta.pl>
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 09:28:41 -0700
Subject: Letter FROM ECOWAS BANK MANAGER


Letter FROM ECOWAS BANK MANAGER
ECOWAS BANK OF AFRICA
INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC
HEAD OFFICE 34/36
BROAD STREET LAGOS ISLAND
ABUJA: 23 GARKI, APO VILLAGE
-ABUJA CORPORATE HEAD QUARTERS.
E-MAIL: WH90@POST.RO
BANK TEL: (234) 1 7623637

ATTN MR/MRS

I AM AN ACCOUNTANT WITH ECOWAS BANK OF AFRICA INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC
(EBA),MY NAME IS MR. WILLIAMS WHITE, A BANKER, I AM THE PERSONAL ACCOUNT
MANAGER TO ENGR. PETER J. ALDRIDGE, A NATIONAL OF GREECE , WHO USED TO WORK
WITH A MULTI-NATIONAL OIL FIRM IN NIGERIA(SUMMIT OIL)HERE. IN AFTER SHALL BE
REFERRED TO AS MY CLIENT ON DECEMBER 25,2002, MY CLIENT, HIS WIFE, AND THEIR
THREE CHILDREN WERE INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ALONG SAGAMU EXPRESS WAY. ALL
OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE UNFORTUNATELY LOST THEIR LIVES.

SINCE THEN I HAVE MADE SEVERAL INQUIRIES TO YOUR EMBASSY TO LOCATE ANY OF MY
CLIENTS EXTENDED RELATIVES, THIS HAS ALSO PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER THESE
SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS, I DECIDED TO TRACE PEOPLE NAME IN HIS COUNTRY
OVER THE INTERNET WHOM TO PRESENT AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO CLAIM THIS MONEY FOR
OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT & SHARING, HENCE I CONTACTED YOU. I HAVE CONTACTED YOU TO
ASSIST IN REPATRIATING THE MONEY AND PROPERTY LEFT BEHIND BY MY CLIENT
BEFORE
THEY GET CONFISCATED OR DECLARED UNSERVICEABLE BY THE BANK WHERE THIS HUGE
DEPOSITS WERE LODGED, PARTICULARLY THE ECOWAS BANK OF AFRICA INTERNATIONAL
PLC (EBA) WHERE THE DECEASED HAD AN ACCOUNT VALUED ($20MILLION U S DOLLARS)
HAS ISSUED ME A NOTICE TO PROVIDE THE NEXT OF KIN OR HAVE THE ACCOUNT
CONFISCATED WITHIN THE NEXT FOURTEEN OFFICIAL WORKING DAYS.

SINCE I HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN LOCATING THE RELATIVES FOR OVER 2 YEARS
NOW I SEEK YOUR CONSENT TO PRESENT YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OF THE DECEASED
SINCE BOTH OF YOPU ARE FROM THE SAME COUNTRY SO THAT THE PROCEEDS OF THIS
ACCOUNT VALUED AT ($20MILLION US DOLLARS) CAN BE PAID TO YOU AND THEN YOU
AND ME CAN SHARE THE MONEY.60% TO ME AND 40% TO YOU I HAVE ALL NECESSARY
LEGAL DOCUMENTS THAT CAN BE USED TO BACK UP ANY CLAIM WE MAY MAKE. ALL I
REQUIRE IS YOUR HONEST CO-OPERATION TO ENABLE US SEE THIS DEAL THROUGH. I
GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL BE EXECUTED UNDER A LEGITIMATE ARRANGEMENT THAT
WILL PROTECT YOU FROM ANY BREACH OF THE LAW.

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME WITH THE BELOW EMAIL ADDRESS:
E-MAIL: WH90@POST.RO

TELL: 2348025488727
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR

1) YOU COMPLETE NAME
2) PRIVATE PHONE AND FAX FOR EASY COMMUNICATION.
3) HOME/COMPANY ADDRESSEE
BEST REGARD'S,

MR. WILLIAMS WHITE
My Cell phone +234 8025488727

NOTE: YOUR NAME HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS BUT JUST TO STAND AS THE NEXT OF
KIN THAT IS A COUSIN AND YOU WILL BE PAID FOR US TO SHARE OK! REPLY ASAP

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam