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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",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)
  • "headquater" (this email uses bad English)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "cotonou" (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.
  • +22993111784 (Benin, probably a 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.
  • johnhudson34@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • @yahoo.co.uk
  • hudsonjohn2002@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "mrhudsonjohn1000 Gazeta.pl" <mrhudsonjohn1000@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: johnhudson34@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:32:04 +0200
Subject: PLEASE READ AND REPLY VERY URGENTLY.


*PLEASE READ AND REPLY VERY URGENTLY.
From: Mr. John Hudson,*
*Operations Manager*
*Continental Bank Benin.*
*E-mail: johnhudson34
<johnhudson34@yahoo.co.uk>@yahoo.co.uk<hudsonjohn2002@yahoo.com>
*
*Tel: 00229 93 111 784*
*
Dear Friend,
*
* Please in the name of God i ask for your little time to read this message
carefully to the excellency of our mutual benefit. This is not one of those
letters or stories out there that everybody know as joke. I am very serious
and this money is my only hope of survival now and it is the future of my
family. So please read this email very gently and quietly tell me what you
think,if we can transact it together or not. And please after reading if it
does not interest you please kindly delete the mail and keep the secret of
what you red within you.

My name is JOHN HUDSON, i am the operations manager of Continental
Bank Benin Cotonou headquaters Republic of Benin. I got your information
when i was searching for an oversea partner among other names. I write you
this proposal in good faith; I am 52 years old an Ethiopian white based in
Benin Republic, married with two lovely kids.
*
*I have a very important business which i would like to execut with you
which involves some reasonable amount of cash, i have packaged a financial
transaction that will benefit you and I, as the OPS manager in this bank it
is my duty to send in a financial report to my headmen office in Potonovo at
the end of each business year. On the course of the last year 2007 business
report, I discovered that we made Three Million Five Hundred Thousand
British Pounds (3.5,000,000.00)GBPS) which my head office and no single
staff are not aware of and will never be aware of since i have wisely
arranged and blinded the files. I have placed this funds on what we call
escrow call account with no beneficiary.*

*As an officer of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, so
my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive this money in your bank
account and get 30% of the total funds as commission. **There are
practically no risks involved, it will be a bank-to-bank transfer, and all I
need from you is to stand claim as the original depositor of these funds who
made the deposit with my branch so that my head office can order the
transfer to your designated bank account.*
**
*If you accept to work with me I will appreciate it very much.** Email me
with the email address johnhudson34
<johnhudson34@yahoo.co.uk>@yahoo.co.uk<johnhudson34@yahoo.co.uk>
** so that we can go over the details and i will give you my full
informations and relay to you more information onthe money and explain to
you how we should start the claim. **Remember there is no risk involved i
promise.*
**
*Thank you in advance and May God bless you and your family. *
*Yours truly*

** *John HUDSON*
*Operations Manager*
*Continental Bank Benin*
* E-mail: johnhudson34@yahoo.co.uk <hudsonjohn2002@yahoo.com>
Tel: 00229 93 111 784
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam