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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Richard Kofi Addo" <mail2richardkofi@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: mails2richardkofi@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 15:52:34 -0700
Subject: hello

FROM THE DESK OF MR. RICHARD KOFI ADDO
Phone: +233 24 3331032
Greetings,
My name is Mr. Richard Kofi Addo. I am the Regional Manager of Barclays Bank of Ghana, Takoradi branch in the Western Region of Ghana. I write you this proposal in good faith; I am 52 years old and married with two lovely children. I am a man of peace, and have sincere respect for human feelings and opinions. I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and I. As the Regional Manager of Barclays bank it is my duty to send in a financial report to my head office in the capital city, Accra at the end of each business year.
On the course of last year, 2004 business report, I discovered that the branch in which I am the Manager made Twenty eight million eight hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars ($28,850,000.00) which my head office is not aware of and will never be aware of. I have placed this funds on what we call Escrow call account with no beneficiary. As an officer of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, so my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive this money in your bank account and get 30% of the total funds as commission.
There is practically no risk involved, the transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law, it will be simply a bank-to-bank transfer, and all I need from you is to stand claim as the original depositor of these funds who made the deposit with my branch so that my head office can order the transfer to your designated bank account under few working days. If you accept to work with me I will appreciate it very much as you are the first and the only person I am contacting for this transaction.
My private phone number is +233 243 331032 call me or send me an email as soon as you receive this message if you think so that we can go over the details. Thank you in advance and may God bless you and your family.
Sincerely,
Richard Kofi Addo

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam