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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• 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:
  • "million united states 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)
  • ",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)
  • "certified bank draft" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Jeremiah Efiong" <jefiong1@gala.net>
Reply-To: jeremiahefiong@sify.com
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:07:44 +0100
Subject: Reply


Dear Sir,



Your attorney representative here in Nigeria (Barr. Ayodeji Mogaji) first
gave your name for the receipt part payment sum of Twenty Seven Million
United States Dollars (US$27,000,000.00) that has been approved by this
Ministry.



We advice that he should make proper application and submit copy of
documentation that will prove you to be the rightful beneficiary to the fund
before we can approve and instruct immediate issuing of certified bank draft
in your name.



Your attorney brought several documents to this office, proving that the
first beneficiary of the fund, Late Engineer C B Agrawal of 1728 Pulliam
Street, San - Angelo, Texas, USA authorized you to claim his remaining
balance contract payment sum that is pending with the Federal Government of
Nigeria through Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation with Contract No.
NNPC/FGN/X92/WA/PH/1999, Contract Amount: Two Hundred and Seventy Million
United States Dollars (US$270,000,000.00) and Contract File Ref: 0563.



We are surprised to receive a letter yesterday from your attorney
representative, instructing for change of your name to another person. He is
claiming that you have sudden illness, which makes you not to work or speak
since few days now. Therefore, he is asking that the fund should go to your
cousin instead of you again because of the payment approval period.



According to rules and guidelines of this Ministry, we need formal
confirmation from you in writing before we can accept to change your name to
your cousin as submitted by your attorney representative. I therefore
request that you should formally give this office straightaway approval to
comments changing of your name to your cousin's name as submitted by your
attorney. Bearing in mind that he will becomes the rightful beneficiary of
the fund and will receive the fund on your behalf as soon as this office
receive writing change of Fund Ownership from you.



Sincerely,



Dr. Jeremiah Efiong

Director of Payment

Federal Ministry of Finance

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam