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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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.

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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "million 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)
  • ",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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • peterokonu2007@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "PETER OKONU" <peterokonu06@ig.com.br>
Reply-To: peterokonu23@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 16:23:45 +0100
Subject: BUSINESS ASSISTANCE


Dear sir/madam,

This email may come to you as a suprise but by the time you read through,
you will understand why I have sent it to you.Please do not think this email
is wrongly sent to you.I have
elibrately sent it to you to solicit your assistance in my present
ambition.For introduction sake, my name is Dr.Peter Okonu, I am a top
government functionary in my country.

Presently I am the financial controller in the Federal Ministry of Finance
of my country.My Responsibility includes approving and paying off bills on
behalf of my government to various international companies that have
executed contracts for the government of my country.

Yearly funds are allocated to my department for purpose of paying the
government bills.Last year 2007, after paying the government bills, I still
had the sum of (US$18,000,000.00) Eighteen Million US Dollars remaining in
the volt account.This balance of money was due to the reckless calculation
of the Accountant General office that over calculated the past year bills
and payments.As it is now , it is believed that I have paid the bills but in
reality the exccess of US$18,000,000.00 is in my posssession up till now.

Since this fund is not known to any person, I decided to hold it and never
to return it back to the Federation account.Because I am a civil servant, it
is not easy for me to keep this US$18,000,000.00 in my local account as it
will raise suspicion due to the fact that I am a standard salary earner and
my salary for 100 years cannot amount to such money (US$18M).So if I keep
the US$18,000,000 in my local account, it will be discovered.It is best that
I send the money to a foreign account.Presently, I have moved the
US$18,000,000 into a suspense account.

All through my life, I have been a civil servant so I have no opportunity to
have access to a foreign account where I can keep this fund.So I am
delibrately contacting you to invite you to be my partner to provide for me
an account where I can send this money for safe keeping so my government
will not know about it.I have all the logistics to pay in this money into
your bank account without any hinderance. I know that your role in this
matter is of importance,
therefore I have considered a fair compensation to you.I have personally
decided to give to you 30% of the US$18,000,000 after you help me receive
this money.

I will give you more details of this fund transfer after I receive your
reply confirming your interest.While replying, include your telephone number
for easy communication.Please I am most concerned about keeping this
information secret.Please while replying, include your direct telephone and
cell phone numbers for easy communication.My alternative email is :
peterokonu2007@yahoo.co.uk.

Best Regards.

Dr.Peter Okonu

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam