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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "certified bank draft" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: " tony peter"<tony_peter44@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 06:05:28 -0800
Subject: ****SPAM(20.6)****


Spam detection software, running on the system "portal.bk-werne.de", has
identified this incoming email as possible spam. The original message
has been attached to this so you can view it (if it isn't spam) or label
similar future email. If you have any questions, see
postmaster for details.

Content preview: DEAR FRIEND, THIS IS MY APPRECIATION FOR YOUR PASSED COMMITMENTS
IN THE TRANSACTION. I REALIZED YOUR HANDS WERE TIRED UP THEN.I HAVE TRANSFERED
THE FUND IN A NEW BANK ACCOUNT PROVIDED BY A FRIEND OF MINE IN LONDON.I DROPPED
AN INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED BANK DRAFT WORTH US$500.000.00 (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND
UNITED STATE DOLLAR ) TO SEND TO YOU IN CARE OF (WESTERN UNION), AS COMPENSATION
FOR YOUR PASSED EFFORTS.I INSTRUSTED THEIR (DIRECTOR MR.KENNETH BOOMA) TO
CONVERACT THE DRAFT TO BE PHYSICAL CASH AND ARRANGE IT TO BE AVAILABLE FOR
YOU,DUE TO YOU CAN NOT BE ABLE TO CASH THE TOTAL $500.000.00 CHEQUE, [...]


Content analysis details: (20.6 points, 4.0 required)

pts rule name description
---- ---------------------- --------------------------------------------------
-1.4 ALL_TRUSTED Passed through trusted hosts only via SMTP
2.3 FORGED_YAHOO_RCVD 'From' yahoo.com does not match 'Received' headers
2.6 DEAR_FRIEND BODY: Dear Friend? That's not very dear!
2.3 US_DOLLARS_3 BODY: Mentions millions of $ ($NN,NNN,NNN.NN)
0.8 MSOE_MID_WRONG_CASE MSOE_MID_WRONG_CASE
2.6 ADVANCE_FEE_2 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
2.3 MISSING_SUBJECT Missing Subject: header
2.4 UPPERCASE_75_100 message body is 75-100% uppercase
2.4 ADVANCE_FEE_3 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
4.2 FORGED_MUA_OUTLOOK Forged mail pretending to be from MS Outlook

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam