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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "very 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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • innoskad@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Innocent Kadiogo" <innoskad@sify.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:43:35 +0100
Subject: URGENT ASSISTANCE PLEASE


*FROM THE DESK OF MR INNOCENT KADIOGO*
*MANAGER AUDITING AND ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT *
*AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (A D B)*
*BURKINA FASO (WEST AFRICA).*
* *
*Dear Friend,*
* IAM THE ABOVE MENTIONED PERSON, WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED BANK.*
*HAVING NOT MET YOU IN PERSON, I KNOW YOU WILL BE SURPRISED TO RECEIVE THIS
MAIL,BUT PLEASE TREAT IT AS VERY CONFIDENTIAL, AND URGENT,BECAUSE THIS MAIL
,IF HANDLED CORRECTLY,WILL CHANGE THE COURSE OF OUR LIVES, AND THAT OF OUR
BOTH FAMILIES.*
* PLEASE I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF THIRTY NINE
MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS($39.5),WITHIN THE NEXT 14 WORKING
DAYS.THIS MONEY (WHICH BELONGS TO ONE GEORGE SMALL),A DECEASED CUSTOMER WITH
OUR BANK,WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS NEXT OF KIN IN AN AIR CRASH IN 31ST
OCTOBER 1999,WANTS TO GO IN TO GOVERNMENT TRAESURY AS UNCLAIMED
BILLS.PLAESE, I DONT WANT THIS MONEY TO GO IN TO GOVERNMENT TRAESURY AS
ABANDONED FUND,SO THIS IS WHY I NEED YOU TO HELP,BY ACCTING THE NEXT OF KIN
,SO THE MONEY CAN BE RELEASED TO YOUR ACCOUNT ,SINCE LATE MR GEORGE SMALL
HAVE NO NEXT OF KIN.IF YOU AGREE TO HANDLE THE TRNASACTION WITH ME ,YOU
WILL GET 30% OF THE MONEY,WHILE 10% WILL BE USED TO OFFSET ANY EXPENSES
INCURRED DURING THE PROCESS.MAIL BACK ON
**INNOSKAD@HOTMAIL.FR*<INNOSKAD@HOTMAIL.FR>
*,*
*FOR MORE CLARIFICATIONS.EXPECTING YOUR URGENT RESPONSE.*
* REGARDS, *
* KADIOGO.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam