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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
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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)
  • "huge sum 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)
  • ",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)
• 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.
  • +34659797664 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: harly les <harly-les@msn.com>
Reply-To: <harlyles2009@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:50:40 +0000
Subject: GREAT OPPORTUNITY



Dear friend I am the director in charge of Auditing and Accounting section of Banco Gallego here in Spain Europe ; I crave your indulgence as i contact you in such a surprising manner. I respectfully insist you read this letter carefully as I am optimistic it will open doors for unimaginable financial rewards for both of us and also to take my wife abroad for treatment of liver damage. MY PROPOSAL: During my investigation and auditing in this Bank, i came across a very huge sum of money belonging to a deceased customer Mrs., Medina Vega Yaiza who died on 20 August 2008, Spanair flight JK5022 plane crash and the fund has been dormant in her account with this bank without any claim of the fund in our custody either from her family or relation before my discovery to this development. the said amount was €ur3,500,000.00 (Three million five hundred thousand Euros) It is therefore upon this that I now decided to make this business proposal to you so that the money could be released to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and i don’t want this money to go into the bank treasury unclaimed. The request for a foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and as such Español cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner. i agree that 40% of this money will be for you as a foreign partner in respect to the provision of a foreign account, 60% would be for me. There after I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated. Therefore to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for easy and effective communication and location wherein the money will be remitted. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch free and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer. Contact me through email or my private number: +34 659 797 664, as soon as you finish reading this email for more details, trusting to hear from you immediately. Yours faithfullyMr. Harly Les

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam