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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
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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:

• 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)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • mrsangela.jones@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: mrsangelajones@msn.com
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:25:30 -0800 (PST)
Subject: URGENT RESPOND AS NEXT OF KIN


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



- Dear Friend, I am an accountant with ECO BANK PLC REPBLIC OF BENIN . I work in a Bank here and there is the sum of $10.5M (Ten Million Five Hundred United States Dollars ) floating in a dormant account that belongs to a late customer who died alongside hisyounger brother in the crash of December, 2003. For further details of the Plane Crash, Please Visit http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html As his personal account officer I will like this money be transferred into your account as the next of kin of the deceased customer because the money will automatically go into government treasury at the end of this year. I will adequately furnish you on how this will work out. Kindly reply me through this my private email address; ( mrsangelajones@msn.com ) Yours faithfully, MRS ANGELA JONES

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam