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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million british pounds" (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)
  • "foreign exchange" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Dr.Phil Hodkinson <phil1_17@msn.com>
Reply-To: <dr.philh@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 16:31:53 +0000
Subject: KINDLY REPLY


Bank Of Scotland
PO Box No.5 The Mound
Edinburgh EH1 1YZ .
Greetings

Following the recent announcement by the minister of finance, that all funds inaccounts that have been dormant for years be transferred to the Treasury I sendthis mail to you.

I know that this message will come to you as a surprise since we do not knoweach other before,I am Dr. Phil Hodkinson of the above mentioned bank inScotland.

I'm a chartered accountant by training and the personal account officer ofLate Major Fadi Basem,there is an account opened in this bank which has beendormant for years now and the owner of the said account was Late Major FadiBasem,an Iraq,who was killed with his family during the U.S and Iraq
war in bomb blast that hit their home. Since then no body has come as a relative or next of kin to stand as a beneficiary to this man's fund,and the amount involve is £15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million British Pounds Sterling).


No other person/persons knows about this account or any thing concerning it as my investigations proved, the account has no other beneficiary,I am only
contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local
account here,but can only be approved to any foreign account because the
original owner of the account was a foreigner and according to the laws of my
country, all funds in accounts that have been dormant for years will revert to
the ownership of the United Kingdom Government if nobody applies to claim the
funds..

I will use my position and influence to effect legal approvals and onward
transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance
forms of the ministries and foreign exchange departments.

At the conclusion of this transaction, you will be given 40% of the total

amount,while 60% will be for me.
I wait your urgent responce.

Yours Sincerely,
Dr. Phil Hodkinson

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam