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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin 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.
  • georgedonerson@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "doner son" <donerson@mobimail.mn>
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 14:46:01 +0100
Subject: From Mr George Donerson


From Mr George Donerson

I am writing you from Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire. I work in a bank here and
there is the sum of $8.5M floating in a dormant account that belongs to a
late customer who died alongside his younger brother in the crash of
December, 2003. www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/

Please contact me on the contact details below for more information.
Name: Mr George Donerson
Tel: 225-0755-5283
Email: georgedonerson@yahoo.fr

I will like this money be transfered into your account as the next of kin of
the deceased customer because the money will automatically go into
government treasury at the end of this year. Reply this mail while I furnish
you on how this will work out.


Yours faithfully,
George Donerson

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam