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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "cost of transfer" (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. )
  • "hundred thousand us 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)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • rugwud@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "dangwu rugwu" <dangwurugwu10@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: rugwud@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 19:50:31 +0000
Subject: I would like your co-operation


Good day,

I am Mr Dangwu Rugwu, a staff of bill and exchange at the foreign remittance
department of my Bank.I believe this mail might come as a suprise to you but
i will like you to treat the matter as urgent and confidential as it is. I
assure you of your 100% security if you descided to be a part of this
opportunity.

In my department I discovered an abandoned sum of US$10.5M, (Ten Million,
Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars).This amount belongs to one of our foreign
customers who died along with his wife and only daughter in a plane crash of
Alaska Airlines Flight number 261 which crashed on January 31, 2000. You
shall read more about the crash on visiting this site:
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/

The owner of this account is a forerigner and resides in ouagadougou here in
burkina faso. It is therefore upon this discovery that I have decided to
make this business proposal to you and for the smooth and kitch free
transfer of this fund into your designated account. You need to follow the
instruction which I will be give to you,to pass as the next of kin or
business partner to the deceased customer. Already our bank has been
expecting a claim to come and none has come so far so i believe the board of
directors will put any claim that comes into serious consideration.

The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that if such money remained
unclaimed after (ten) 10 years, the money will be transfered into the bank
treasury as unclaimed fund. The money has now stayed more than eight to nine
years years and I am preparing documentaion to prove that this money has
been transfered to our bank treasury for the bank. It will be between me and
you only that will know that the money is not transfered into our treasure
yet.

This request of foreigner as next of kin in this transaction is occasioned
by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and as an insider i cannot
stand as next of kin to a foreigner. In appreciation of your assistance, I
am offering you 40% of the total sum. 5% for contingencies (cost of
transfer/other charges) likely to be incurred during the course of
transaction, while the remaining 55% is for me.Upon receipt of your reply.

I will send to you by fax or email the text of the application which you
will complete and forward to our bank asking for this money to be paid to
you as the next of kin to the late customer. I will not fail to bring to
your notice that this transaction is hitch-free and that you should not
entertain any fear as all required arrangements have been made for the
transfer and also very confidential. Please contact me with your full
profile:You full names,contact and numbers,age,occupation. This is to know
you better and also for the fact that the transaction will last 14days from
the day the bank's board of directors will acknowledge the application that
i will give you to send.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr Dangwu Rugwu.

rugwud@yahoo.fr

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam