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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "lome togo" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2280985954 (Togo, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • njoku_w11@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: william.njoku@live.fr
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:09:30 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Can you handle this?


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: njoku_w11@yahoo.com



- Date:23/10/2008. Dear Sir/Madam, With all due respect,my name is Mr. William Njoku. I am 52yrs old, I am the Director In charge of Wire Transfer through Key Tested Telex (K.T.T), and wire transfer bank to bank (swift system) of NATIONAL BANK FOR INDUSTRIES LOME TOGO. My department is in charge of all the Foreign Remittance and operational software that is to be undertaken by our bank.On a routine inspection I discovered a dormant domiciliary account with a BAL. of US$11.5 million(Eleven million, five hundred thousand dollars) belonging to late Mr J. R .Troy, from your country. On further discreet investigation, I also discovered that the account holder and his family all lost their lives in plane crash in a village called Adjarra near Porto Novou after taken off from Cotonou in Benin Republic where they went for a Concert .For more on the plane crash log onto http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3348109.stm Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for some time now i seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased, so that the proceeds of this account valued at USD11.5M can be paid to you and then you and me can share the money. I have all the necessary legal information / Documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. And these I must do to make sure that this fund is not wasted or end up in the wrong hands. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. I am waiting your urgent reply. Please you can reach me through my private email address as indicated. And also be in mind that this transaction should be kept secret and confidential. Thanks for understanding , waiting to hear from you urgently for more updates. Thanks and God bless you, Mr.William Njoku. International Remittance Unit,National Bank For Industries,Lome -Togo. Tel. +228-0985954.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam