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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
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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:

• 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:
  • "account opening fee" (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. )
  • "clearance certificate" (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. )
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• 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.
  • snsregiobktransfer.unit@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS.ANITA JOHNSON ROSS" <anitajohnsonrossaj@telecom.cz>
Reply-To: anitajohnsonrossajn@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:49:40 GMT
Subject: (TRANSFER CONTACT)




My Dear,

Is`t me Mrs. Anita Johnson Ross, please I have been waiting for you to contact me regarding your willed fund of ($3,500,000.00) (Three million five hundred thousand dollars) but i did not hear from you since the last time. Well I finally went and deposited the fund in a bank, as I will be going in for an operation any moment from now. I hope you are aware that I have been diagnosed for cancer about 2 years ago, that was immediately after the death of my husband before I was touched by God to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to you for the good work of God than allow my relatives to use my husband hard earned funds ungodly.

What you have to do now is to contact the Bank as soon as possible to know when they will Transfer the money to you to start the good work of the lord as initially arranged, and to help the motherless less privilege also for the assistance of the widows according to (JAMES 1:27). For your information, I have paid all the Charges, Insurance premium and Clearance Certificate showing that it is not a Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorism in your Country.

The only money you have to send to the Bank is the account opening fee due to my method of deposit. Again, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except account opening charges.

Please kindly contact the bank on Tel: +13-162-651-1808 /Fax: +31-847-301-282. OR via E-MAIL: snsregiobktransfer.unit@hotmail.com with your full names contact telephone/fax number and your full address and tell them that I have deposited the sum of ($3,500,000.00) in the Unit account of the bank and you are the present beneficiary to the sum. I will inform the bank immediately that I have WILL-IN that amount to you for a specific work.

Let me repeat again, try to contact the Bank as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to pay them their account set up fee for their immediate action. I will also appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished as I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. Also I will be contacting you by email as I don't want my relation or anybody to know because they are always around me.

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Anita Johnson Ross

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam