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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
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "barthlomew hougheji" <barthlomew3@fastwebmail.it>
Reply-To: barthlomew11@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2008 20:10:26 +0100
Subject: waiting for your response


Dear Friend
I am writing you from Cotonou, republic of Benin. I work in a bank here and
there is the sum of $15.1M floating in a dormant account that belongs to a
deceased customer who died with all his family members in plane crash
accident of
December, 2003. Please read this website:
www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/

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,

Barthlomew

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam