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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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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "necessary legal documents" (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. )
  • "greater london" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "mr.kevin brown" <kbrown20000@googlemail.com>
Reply-To: kbrown5050@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 02:03:22 +0000
Subject: FROM MR.KEVIN BROWN


*Dear Friend,
I am Mr. Kevin Brown from Haledon, North West London, and here in England. I
work for Natwest Bank Corporation London. I am writing you from my office
that will be of an immense benefit to both of us. In my department, being
the assistant manager (Greater London Regional Office, I discovered an
abandoned sum of $12.5 million USA Dollars (Twelve million five hundred
thousand Us Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign
customers Late Mr. Thompson Morrison American citizen who unfortunately lost
his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on
January 31 2000, including his wife and only daughter.

The choice of contacting you is aroused from the geographical nature of
where you live, particularly due to the senility of the transaction and the
confidentiality herein. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the
relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody has done that. I personally
has been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for 2 years now, I seek your
consent to present you as the next of kin/Will Beneficiary to the deceased
so that the proceeds of this account valued at 12.5 Million Dollars can be
paid to you.

This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages, 60% to me and 40% to
you. I have secured all necessary legal documents that can be used to back
up this claim we are making. All if need is to fill-in your names to the
documents and legalize it in the court here to prove you as the legitimate
beneficiary. All I require now is your honest Co-operation, Confidentiality
and Trust to enable us sees this transaction through. I guarantee you that
this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you
from any breach of the law.

Please, provide me the following: as we have 7 days to run it through. This
is very URGENT PLEASE.

1. Full Name
2. Your Telephone Number
3. Your Contact Address.
4. Age
5. Core Job/ Occupation

Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping
that you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmation of
this message and indicating your interest, I will furnish you with more
information. Endeavor to let me know your decision rather than keep me
waiting.

Regards,
Mr. Kevin Brown.
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam