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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• 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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "top secret" (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 next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "salif ahmed" <salif_ahmed2@jabster.pl>
Reply-To: salif_ahmed@ymail.com
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 13:41:34 +0100
Subject: READ CAREFULLY AND REPLY


*FROM: SALIF AHMED.
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO
WEST AFRICA *

*DEAR FRIEND, *

*I KNOW THAT THIS MAIL WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE. I AM THE BILL AND
EXCHANGE MANAGER BOA BANK HERE IN OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO. *

*I HOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT EXPOSE OR BETRAY THIS TRUST AND CONFIDENT THAT I
AM ABOUT TO REPOSE ON YOU FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF OUR BOTH FAMILIES.I NEED
YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF ($25.6)MILLION IMMEDIATELY
TO YOUR ACCOUNT.THE MONEY HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR YEARS IN OUR BANKHERE WITHOUT
ANY BODY COMING FOR IT. *

*I WANT TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEAREST PERSON TO OUR DECEASED
CUSTOMER (THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT)WHO DIED A LONG WITH HIS SUPPOSED NEXT OF
KIN IN AN AIR CRASH SINCE JULY 2000.I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR
BANK TREASURY AS AN ABANDONED FUND. SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED
YOU, SO THAT WE WILL RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEAREST PERSON TO THE
DECEASED CUSTOMER. *

*PLEASE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL AS A TOP SECRET AND DELETE IF
YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED.UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY,I WILL SEND YOU FULL
DETAILS ON HOW THE BUSINESS WILL BE EXECUTED AND ALSO NOTE THAT YOU WILL
HAVE 40% OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED SUM IF YOU AGREE TO TRANSACT THE BUSINESS
WITH ME.PLEASE CONTACT ME THROUGH THIS E-MAIL ADDRRES (salif_ahmed@ymail.com
**) *
*THANK'S AND HOLPING TO HEAR FROM YOU *

*MR.SALIF AHMED.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam