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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:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "my direct line" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
  • "lagos" (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.
  • +2348058476539 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: steckr1@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 05:58:44 -0800 (PST)
Subject: RE: JOINT VENTURE


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:steck.robinson@yahoo.com.co



- Pls i want you to read this letter very carefully and i must apologize for barging this message into your mail box without any formal introduction due to the urgency and confidential of this issue and i know that this message will come to you as a surprise, Pls this is not a joke and i will not like you to joke with it.I am Mr John Williams Manager in African Development Bank (UNB) LAGOS,NIGERIA.I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that i am about to establish with you for the mutual benefit of me and you.Please go through the website(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm ) I want our bank to release this $20.5M USD funds to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer while i come over to your country to share this fund with you as soon as you confirm this fund into your account and ask me to come over. I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasure as an abandoned fund.So this is the reason why i contacted you so that our bank will release this money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer.Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not interesting.Upon the receipt of your reply and indication of your capability, i will give you full details on how the business will be executed and also note that you will have 45% of the above mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me while 50% will be for me and 5% for any expenses that may arise on the process, Because i don't want anyone here in our bank to know my involvement until you confirm this fund into your account and ask me to come over for the sharing as i indicated.Am looking forward hearing from you immediately, Call me also through my direct line on +2348058476539.Thanks with my best regards,Steck Robinson

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam