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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
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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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "anthony eric" <anthonyericmhu00@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:53:20 +0800
Subject: KIND ATTETION


Dear Friend
I urge you to treat this mail serious, i would have given you a call to get
us discuss this matter rather i decided to contact you via an email,since
email is a convenient way of private communication.

My name is Barrister Muhammad Eric A, I am a legal practitioner with Wise
Eagle Chambers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
I saw your contact and profile i decided that you could cooperate with me in
this proposition.I have a client who was deceased in 15th November,2004,in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.I am contacting you because you have the same surname
as my deceased client and i felt that you could help me in the distribution
of funding that were left in my deceased client's bank account.

This funds is closed to be declared UN-serviceable by the bank as there were
no indicated next of kin or next of beneficiary of the funding in the bank
account.
The bank had issued to me a notification to contact the next of kin of my
deceased client for either to re-activate the bank account or to make claim
of beneficiary of the funding in the bank account, with a month surcharge of
6% to be deducted as an Escrow safe keeping fee of the bank account,so as to
avoid the indefinite closure of the bank account.
My proposition to you is to seek your consent, and to present your kind self
as the next-of-kin and beneficiary of my deceased client, since you have the
same last name with him.

This means that the proceeds of his bank account would be paid to you as his
next of kin or the legitimate beneficiary. When the proceeds in his bank
account are paid to you, we would share the proceeds on a mutually
agreed-upon percentage of 60% to me and 40% to your kind self.
All the documents to back up your claim as my client's next-of-kin would be
provided. The most important thing I would need is your honest cooperation
in this proposition.This would be done under a legitimate arrangement that
would protect you from any breach of the law.
If this business proposition offends your moral and ethic values, do accept
my sincere apology. Please let me know your decission at once if you are
interested by replying the mail and ignore it if you are not.

Best regards,
Muhammad Eric A Esq

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam