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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million 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)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348034160065 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Tom Williams" <tomwillo098@gmail.com>
Reply-To: contacttomwilliamsoffice1@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:25:29 -0700
Subject: NEXT OF KIN.


*Attn : My Dear*

*I am Barr.Tom Williams Esq. an account operator to late (MR.ABBAS HEROTH)
52yrs old, a nationality of your country who unfortunately died on a car
accident dated 7th August 2005 along Ibadan Express High Way. Since the
death of (MR.ABBAS HEROTH), I as his account operator have made several
enquiries to locate his relations to come up for the inheritance claim,
without any success. I came across your name and contact on the course of my
personal searching for my late client relations/next of kin so I decided to
contact you for this project. *

*I am contacting you to assist in securing the wealth left behind in a fixed
deposit account by my late client before they get confiscated or declared
unserviceable by the bank where my late client operates an account. The
board of Directors of the bank has issued me a notice that after 2 months
from now and no relation shown up for the claiming of the said funds, the
funds will be confiscated and declared unserviceable. *

*Since The board of Directors of the bank have been unsuccessful in locating
my client relatives for sometime now, it's on this note that I seek your
consent to present you as the relation/next of kin to my late client that
the proceed of this deposit can be released into your account. The amount
deposited $12.8 Million Dollars also i beleived with
interest($12.080.000.00USD) I will agree with you on 60% for you while
40% for me. I guarantee that
this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement which will
protect you from any breach of the law. Upon your response, furnish me with:
*

*Your full name and address
Your telephone and fax numbers
Your occupation and age
As soon as I receive all these information from you I will present it to the
bank Directors that I have locate the relation to my late client since they
asked that I should provide the next of kin for them to release the
inheritance fund. *

*Let me here from you once you acknowledge my email. *

*I'm at your service,
Barr.Tom Williams Esq.
Call me for more informations : + 234 80 341 60065.*

* *

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam