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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• 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:
  • "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. )
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "attorneys " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "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 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.
  • +447092842639 (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.
  • emekasdrule018@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Emeka Ojukwu <emekasdrule018@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: yakubuyds_rsons@live.fr
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:09:02 -0800 (PST)
Subject: ATTENTION MY GOOD FRIEND,


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: emekasdrule018@yahoo.com



- ATTENTION MY GOOD FRIEND,I am Yakubu Romson Esq,a Legal Practitioner, based in London.During a recent investigation, reconciliation and auditing of Barclays Bank Plc's account, they discovered a dormant account with a huge amount of Money Valued £7,500,000.00 (Seven million Five Pounds Sterling that belongs to one of my late Clients,who died with his family in a car accident along Manchester Express Road. So the fund has been dormant in his account with The Barclays Bank Plc Head Office in London without any claim of the fund, from his family or relation before now. Their discovery to this development warranted them to contact my chamber as Attorneys to the their late customer.The Banking law here stipulates that if such money remains unclaimed all these years, it will be forfeited to the Bank Treasury as an unclaimed bill. It is only a foreigner that can stand as a next of kin and it is upon this discovery that I decided to contact you to collaborate with you to pull out this dormant fund. In order to avert this negative development, going through my archives, I now remembered and brought out the last will of my late client where he was yet to fix in the name of the next of kin to the account. I now seek your permission to fix in your name in the WILL which I will redraft and have you stand in as next of kin to my late clients.After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the internet, to locate any member of his family but of no avail, hence I contacted you. I have contacted you to assist me in repatriating the money left behind by my client before they got confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Barclays Bank London UK where these huge deposits were lodged. Particularly, the Barclays Bank London UK where the deceased had an account valued at about £7,500,000.00 (Seven million Five Pounds Sterling) has issued me a notice to provide the next-of-kin or have the account confiscated within the next ten official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over nine (9) months now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at £7,500,000.00 (Seven million Five Pounds Sterling) can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money; 50% to me and 50% to you.I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make, 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 also have secured from the probate order of mandamus to locate any member of deceased family to become beneficiary of this fund.If this proposal is acceptable by you, please call me on +44-709-284-2639 and send your reply to me to: as soon as possible so as to enable us commence.Yours Sincerely,Yakubu Romson Esq.Directline: +44-709-284-2639 Reply to:

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam