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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:
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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:

• 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)
  • "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "greater london" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million dollars" (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)
  • "hundred thousand us dollars" (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 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.
  • +447031915830 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • bennetmichael@gawab.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <bennettmichael@gawab.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:27:26 +0000
Subject: From Mr. Bennett



Dear Friend,How are you today? I hope great. I am Mr. Michael Bennett From Harlesden, North West London, here in England. I work for NatWest Bank Corporation London. I am writing you from my department office, being the assistant manager (Greater London Regional Office), I discovered an abandoned sum of $12.5 million USA Dollars (twelve million five hundred thousand US dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers Late Mr. Thompson Morrison,an American citizen who unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which took place on 31/ 1/2000, including his wife and only daughter. Click to view details of the crash http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/. The choice of contacting you is aroused from the geographical nature of where you live, particularly due to the senility of the transaction and the confidentiality herein. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody has done that. I personally has been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for 2 years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin /Will Beneficiary to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at 12.5 Million Dollars can be paid to you. This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages,60% to me and 40% to you. I have secured all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up this claim we are making. All i need is to fill in your names to the documents' and legalize it in the court here to prove you as the legitimate beneficiary. All I need now is your honest Co-operation, Confidentiality and Trust to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please, provide me the following as we have few days to run it through: 1. Full Name 2. Telephone Number 3. Contact AddressHaving gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping that you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmation of this message and indicating your interest will furnish you with more information.Regards, Mr. Michael Bennett Tel: +447031915830 Fax: +448704717161 Email:bennetmichael@gawab.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam