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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:
  • "search for a reliable person" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "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)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "central bank of nigeria" (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 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.
  • +2348022489136 (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.
  • m.s.barkindo@uk2.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Cordinator Special Duties" <barkindo4@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:51:44 +0100
Subject: Special Duties


M. S. Barkindo,
Coordinator, Special Duties
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
NNPC Towers, Central Business District,
Herbert Macaulay Way,
P.M.B. 190, Garki, Abuja.
Tel: Tel: 234 802 2489136
E-mail: m.s.barkindo@uk2.net

Dear Sir,

I am the coordinator of special duties of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) and a member of Oil and Gas Sectors Reform Committee set
up by the Federal Government of Nigeria to review contracts awarded by the
past administration between 2003 to 2008.

I got your contact in the course of my search for a reliable person with
whom to handle a very confidential transaction involving the transfer of
fund valued about fifty million seven hundred thousand United States dollars
($50.7m) to a safe foreign account. The above fund in question is not
connected with arms, drugs or money laundering. It is the product of over
invoice on contract awarded in 2005 by NNPC, to a foreign company for the
turn around maintainers of Nigeria oil refineries in Kaduna state, delta
state, and Lagos state of Nigeria. The contract has long been executed and
payment of the actual contract amount made to the foreign contractor leaving
the balance of $50.7m US dollars in a dormant account which my colleagues
and I now want to transfer out of Nigeria into a reliable foreign account
for our personal use.

As civil servants, we are not allowed by the law to operate a foreign bank
account, Therfore it becomes necessary to look for a foreign company with
the capability to act as the original beneficiary of the contract. Recently
the President of our Country endorsed the resolution passed by the Senate
that all foreign contractors owed by the Corporation be paid, we will seize
this good opportunity to support you as one of the beneficiaries to be paid.

If you are interested in this proposal kindly send to me your letter of
acceptance along with your direct telephone and fax numbers, but if you
cannot for any reason handle this transaction I should be grateful if you
can introduce it to a reliable and trust worthy person in which in any case
your interest will be properly taken care off. We will share the fund in a
ratio which will be satisfactory to all. We propose 60% for us, 30 % for the
account owner (you) and 10% to be used in settling taxation and all local
and foreign expenses which are directly related to this project prompt
realization.
Further details about this transaction will be discussed in the subsequent
correspondence.

(1) Your company's name and full address

(2) Your banker's name, address, telephone and Fax numbers

(3) The account number and name of would be beneficiary.

The above information are to enable us put up letters of claim and job
description to the respective ministries for the issuance of the mandatory
fund release approval/recommendations. This way, your company will become
recognised and accepted as the beneficiary of the contract entitlements
before the final remittance to your nominated account by the Central Bank of
Nigeria being the paying bank.

We are looking forward to doing this business with you and solicit your
absolute confidentiality in this transaction. Please acknowledge the receipt
of this letter using the above telephone line and E-mail for more details
regarding the transaction.

Yours faithfully,
Mohammed.S. Barkindo,
Coordinator, Special Duties
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam