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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:
  • ",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)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Paul Essien" <paulessien1@mail.ge>
Reply-To: pessien5@adinet.com.uy
Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:05:41 +0400
Subject: Compliment From Mr.Paul Essien Please Reply


Compliment,

My name is Mr.Paul Essien, a political activist and an attorney. I am a
member of my party's executive committee.

My aim of contacting you is to crave your indulgence to assist us in
securing some funds abroad for safe keeping which incidentally was kept to
help us finance our elections which hold on 7th December 2008. Fortunately
with my immediate assistance, and contact, we were able to deposit the
money in a Bank security vault pending when the fund would be needed.

The need to contact you arose from the fact that the present government is
cracking down on the opposition and trying to trace all the funds that
belong to it, if they succeed in tracing this fund to us, they will seize
it and thereby incapacitating our campaign abilities.

We wish to relocate this fund in a foreigner's name to avoid any trace. All
I need from you is an assurance that you can handle the amount involved
(US$19,500,000) comfortably and that I can also trust you with this
arrangement. Be rest assured that there is no risk involved since I have
taken care of everything after the election. I want you to immediately
inform me of your willingness in assisting and co-operating with us, so
that I can send you full details of this transaction and we will make
arrangement and discuss at length on how to transfer this funds.

Please if you are not interested in this business, let me know in time, so
that I can contact someone else.

Yours sincerely,
Mr.Paul Essien

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam