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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:
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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)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "% will be for you" (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)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "foreign remittance department" (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.

Fraud email example:

From: clifford adams <cliffordadams15@msn.com>
Reply-To: <clifford_adams2@yahoo.cl>
Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 14:26:45 +0000
Subject: From the desk of Mr.Clifford Adams




>From the desk of Mr.Clifford Adams
Bill and exchange manager,
Bank of Africa.
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Top secret
Dear friend,
I am Samson Peter. The bill and exchange manager at the foreign remittance department of bank of Africa. I got your contact from the internet, while searching for an honest and trust worthy person, who will assist me to implement this transfer's discovered the sum of Thirty Million And Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (us $30, 500, 000.00) belonging to a deceased customer of this bank.

The fund has been lying in a suspense account without anybody coming to put claim over the money since the account owner who was involved in the December 25th 2003 Benin plane crash The said fund is now ready for transfer to a foreign account whose owner will be portrayed as the beneficiary and next of kin to the deceased customer of the bank. since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines and laws but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money 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 as unclaimed bill. The banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after some years, the money will be transferred into the bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Burkina be cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.

I therefore am soliciting for your assistance both financial in any expenses during the bank documentation clearance to come forward as the next of kin.I have agreed that 40% of this money will be for you as the beneficiary in respect of the provision of your account and services rendered, 50% would be for me while 10% will be for expenses incurred during the cause of this transaction if the money is transferred to your account from bank of Africa, while 40% will be for you. I and my family in this transaction will proceed immediately to your country for our own share of the money. I expect you to keep this business strictly confidential and secret as you may wish to know that I am bank official.Moreover, be rest assured that this business is 100% risk free on both side and every arrangement to transfer this money to the account you are going to provide have been concluded provided we maintain the confidentiality and secret involved.
send these informations below to me, to enable me buy the application form which i will send to you.

1. Your Full Name: ..................
2. Your Contact Cell Phone Number: ...........
3. Your Age: ............
4. Your Sex/Status: ..............
5. Your Occupations: .....................
6. Your Country and City: ............................
7. Your Full Home/Office Address: ....................
8. A Copy of Your Passport SIZE: ..............................

Reply to: clifford_adams2@yahoo.cl
I am looking forward for your prompt response.
Yours Faithfully,
Mr.Clifford Adams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam