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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "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)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • ",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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "observe utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "accredited attorney" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "lome togo" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • barrisasanitg3@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Isa Sani <barrisasanitg3@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: barrisasani@rediffmail.com
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:11:04 -0800 (PST)
Subject: From Isa Sani


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: barrisasanitg3@yahoo.com



- Hello !!, I am Mr. BARRISTER ISA SANI ECOWAS BANK ACCREDITED ATTORNEY Lome Togo, I had the intent to contact you over this financial transaction/transfer,i got your contact through your profile i believed that you will be capable to handle this transfer. This message might meet you in utmost surprise but i want you to understand in all honesty that i mean no harm but for our immense mutual benefit, however,it's due to my urgent need for a foreign partner that makes me to contact you in this project. I am a banker by profession from Lome Republi OF Togo in west Africa, I have the opportunity of transferring the left over funds which I was opportune to see the deceased deposit file bearing this huge amount of money, when i was inspecting the dated and current customers files in other to sign and submit to the entire bank management for an official validation / re-documentation against the statement approval to the account holders for the year. In a swift investigation carrie!
d out by me, I want to transfer to overseas the sum of ($39,500.000..00USD) Thirty Nine Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) from Ecowas Bank of Togo in West Africa. I am the accredited attorney to Ecowas Bank Lome-Togo. this account was dormant for the past 8 years, I and my two other colleagues decided to carry out a system investigation and discovered that none of the family member nor relations of the late depositor is aware of this account, we discovered that there had been no deposits nor withdrawals from this account for this long period. I was surprised to see the deceased deposit file bearing this huge amount of money when i was inspecting the dated and current customers files in other to sign and submit to the entire bank management for for an official validation / re-documentation against the statement approval to the account holders for the year, I would like to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit!
to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/
c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve as far as it can receive money. the amount involved is (USD 39,500,000.00)Thirty Nine Million Five Hundred Thousand USD, no other person knows about this account. I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here, without valid international foreign passport, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or driving license and foreign account because the money is in US Dollars and the former owner of the a/c Mr Christian Eich was a foreigner too, and as such the money can only be approved into a foreign a/c.I need your full co-operation to make this work fine because our bank management are ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will be forwarding to you, upon your positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable to set up an account for this fund. At the c!
onclusion of this project, you will be given 40% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while i will be backing you up with my position here for the immediate approve of this funds into your bank account, also with the relevant documents proofs that are here with me you are covered in any authority as the rightful beneficiary to late Mr Christian Eich. You should observe utmost CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECRECY in this transaction, and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I will like to invest my share over there in your country for security reasons. Also i would be appreciated if you could be able to come over here in person to have this project accomplished physically, i am a well known person here in my Country, i has a lot of reputation to maintain.You need not to worry of Visa because my country you do not need to come to my country with Visa. All that will be needed is my invitation letter, i want to advice you to confide in m!
e, in case you have any question or enquiry or information do let me k
now first before going to the bank to avoid future misunderstanding/mistakes. Therefore, upon receipt of your positive response, i shall advice you more for further directives. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me through the bellow email for more details

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam