419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
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.
- pastormarkelvis@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "'Joseph Bell' via 419trap" <419trap@biographiks.com>
Reply-To: Joseph Bell <josephbell143@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2015 09:38:15 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: your compensation for all your past efforts and attempts to assist
me

My dear friend,

I am very happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred to the cooperation with the new partner of Russia. Currently, I'm in Russia for investment projects with my own share of the total amount that I invest in real estate business.

Meanwhile, I did not forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring those funds despite that it is not for us, like some. Now contact my pastor in Accra, Ghana, through their contacts, as described below, and ask them to send you the amount of 450,000 U.S. dollars (US $ 450,000.00), which I kept for your compensation for all your past efforts and attempts to assist me in this question.

REV.PASTOR MARK ELVIS.
St.Peters Church of England.
Abuja
EMAIL: pastormarkelvis@hotmail.com

I appreciated your efforts at that time very much. So do not hesitate and contact with the pastor and instruct him where to send the Visa ATM Card to you.

Please let me know immediately you receive, so that we can share the joy after all the suffering at that time. At this point, I am very busy here for the investment projects which I and my new partner, having at hand.

And finally, remember that I have instructed the pastor on your behalf to get itÂ International Visa ATM Card , so do not hesitate to contact the pastor MARK ROLAND ELVIS, he will send to you theÂ Visa ATM Card without any delay.

I wish you a happy time of life.

Your daily thoughts.
Dunga Solomon

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam