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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
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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:
  • "a security company " (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. )
  • "trunk box" (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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a orphan 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.
  • missvivianprince@centrum.cz (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "missvivianprince1 Gazeta.pl" <missvivianprince1@gazeta.pl>
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2008 11:01:42 +0000
Subject: Goodday.


Goodday.
Dear One,
I am a girl of 22 years old, By name Ms Vivian prince citizen of cote d´
ivoire. I am still a student in one unniversity in GHANA reading law to be
come a lawyer after graduating. i have a very bad problem now and that is
why i'm contacting you for an urgent asisstance.
I have a younger brother and my mother died of (T/B) Tuberculoses years
back.. my father's name is MR LATH PRINCE. my father was a well known
politician here in cote d' ivoire. You may heard over the BBC OR CNN
concerning the political crisis happening here, and last year the election
of the country was cancelled because of some problem that is going on even
till today. This is to tell you how my country is now I thank God that i was
not at home when what i am about to tell you happened but it was a deep
shock to me and also what i do not think that i can forget so easily.
Is about my father's death my father was murdered in our house here by
unknown people but after a year now i come to realise that it was the hand
work of the great poeple in power master minded the act. so i can not fight
them i leave vengeance to God.. Now is like my father, know what is going to
happen he call me one day and told me that the has $ 10.2,million us dollars
with a security company here in Abidjan for safe keeping only. And told me
that he use my name as next of kin to that money, but warn me not to tell
any body about this. He told me that he deposited this money as family
valueables in a trunk box.
Now i seek your urgent help to have this money been shipped to your country
by the security company as my late father partner in business, and also to
help me get resident permit to come and live with you in your country and
futher my education there. while you will help me to invest the money in
your country since i do not know anything concerning business.
You will be given some part out of the total sum and this transaction is
100% risk free. And we are to discuss on the percentage which you are to
take from the total money for your urgent help after comfirming that you
will asisst in this soonest.
Thanks as you reply urgently.
missvivianprince@centrum.cz
Regards
miss Vivian prince

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam