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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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:
  • "necessary legal documents" (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. )
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "cotonou" (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.
  • benbruze002@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "ben bruce" <benbruce1@torba.com>
Reply-To: benbruce1@yahoo.ca
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 19:08:21 +0100
Subject: honest and a reliable partner


Greetings.

I am Benedict Bruce the director in charge of Auditing and Accounting
section of Bank of Africa Benin in West Africa,and also a special account
officer of Mr. Omar Ali, a Lebanese. He was a Seasoned Contractor with Benin
Cement Company in Benin Republic., who unfortunately died in the plane crash
of Union Transport Africaines Flight Boeing 727 in Cotonou, Benin republic
on the december 25,2003.


Before his death on the 25th December 2003, Mr. Omar Ali has a fixed deposit
account with the bank and no other person knows about this account or any
thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my
investigation proved to me that his supposed next of kin died along with him
in the crash.


Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my clients
extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several
unsuccessful attempts, I decided to contact you. I contacted you to assist
in repatriating the money left behind by my client before they get
confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank.


Consequently, Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for
over 10 months now. I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of
the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at US$6.3 million
can be paid to you and then you and me can share the money. 70% to me and
30% to you. I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up
any claim we may make.


All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.


If this proposal is acceptable to you, kindly email your following
information to me to my private email box at benbruze002@gmail.com

Complete names

Private telephone number

Private fax number

Private email and your address.

Awaiting your urgent reply.Best regards,

Mr.Benedict Bruce

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam