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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
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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)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "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)
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "keep it confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "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)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Kevin Andrews" <mrkevinandrews205@msn.com>
Reply-To: <mrkevinandrews009@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:17:23 +0000
Subject: Thanks For Your Reply



From:Mr.Kevin Andrews.Occupations:External Auditor Address:8 Mitchley Road Tottenham London N17 9HG

Dear Friend, I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise as we never meet before. I am the
personal financial advisor/consultant A Bank here in London, I Hope 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 Two Million
Pounds Starling (2 Million British Pounds sterling) immediately to your account. The money
has been dormant (in-active) for Nine years in The Bank here without any body coming for it. I
want to release the money to you as the nearest person to deceased customer DR.FREDERICK
M.WONG of Redwood City, California the owner of the account who died a long time with his
supposed next of kin in plane crash since Tuesday, November 2, 1999 . I don't want the money
to go into Bank Treasury as an abandoned Fund, so this is the reason why I contacted you, so
that The Bank will release the money to you as the nearest person to the deceased customer.
For more informations about the crash you can visit this site:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/502503.stm

Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not
interested, so that i can continue to search for who will be competent enough to be with me
until the end of this Transaction. 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
amount if you agree to help me execute this business 55% for me and 5% will be maped out for
any expenses both parties might incured during the processing of this transaction. I
therefore request that you send me your account details (or urgently open a new account
without any money in it provided it can receive money). State the account as below:Bank Name..............Bank Address...........Beneficiary Name...Account Number.........Swift Code.............Your Tel/Fax Number....Routing Number.........State &Country... On receipt of the above information, I will start processing the transfer of this fund into
your account. I will send you the letter of Administration, which will serve as an Oral WILL
stating you as the legal and the rightful beneficiary of the fund and a Sworn Affidavit of
Fact From British High Court. With these document sent to the bank the fund will be approve in
your name and transferred to your account. Please note that this is an urgent and confidential
business. Always keep it confidential. Thanks and waiting for your urgent response.Best Regards Mr. Kevin Andrews.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam