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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: Chris.Edem@yahoo.fr
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:29:43 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL FOR YOU


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:edem_chris10@yahoo.com.pe



- Dear friend, with due respect I crave your indulgence as I am contacting you in such a surprising manner but I respectfully advise that you read this letter carefully and let me know your opinion or willingness in this classified information that I will release to you. This however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to honor against your will, but I strongly believe that this will open door for unimaginable financial rewards for both of us if you are willing to cooperate with me. In a brief introduction, my name is Mr Chris Edem, I work with a bank in West-Africa as the regional manager. We have a foreign customer an American national who died 9 years ago in the Egyptian 990 Air-crash of 1999 with his wife and only daughter. But before his tragic death he made a fixed deposit with our bank. The deposit with all the accumulated interest amounts $7,210,000.00 (Seven million two hundred and Ten thousand United States dollars). Upon the maturity of the deposit, the fund was confined to a dormant status and it is a standard practice that after the expiration of Ten years the fund will be declared as an "Unclaimed Asset Resource". Since then we have made several inquiries to locate any of his relatives but all our efforts proved abortive, as there is no heir to the fund. I am contacting you so that you can stand as the next of kin to the deceased, to enable the release and transfer of this fund into your nominated bank account for our benefit. If you are interested kindly get back to me immediately, I am willing to share the fund with you 50/50. Consider and get back to me so that I will give you more information regarding this project. Waiting for your positive response. Mr Chris Edem

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam