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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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)
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • davisapaul@myway.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Davis Paul" <davisapaul3@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: davisapaul@myway.com
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:27:17 -0800
Subject: BANK

From: The Manager,
International Commercial Bank Ghana
First Light Branch
Accra, Ghana.
E-mail:davisapaul@myway.com
Dear friend,
I got your contact during my search for a reliable, trust worthy and
honest
person to introduce this transfer project with. My name is Dr.Davis.A.Paul.
I am the manager of the International Commercial Bank Ghana, First
Light
Kaneshie Branch Accra. I am a Ghanaian married with two kids.
I am writing to solicit your assistance in the noble transfer of
US$720,000.00
This fund is the excess of what my branch in which I am the manager
made as
profit during the last year. I have already submitted an approved end
of the
Year report for the year 2003 and also submitted report of first
quarter
of this last year 2004 to my Head Office here in Accra and they will
never
know of
this Excess. I have since then, placed this amount of US$720.000.00
(seven
hundred and twenty
Thousand United States Dollars) on a SUSPENCE ACCOUNT
without a beneficiary.
As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money
thus
I am
impelled to request for your assistance to receive this money into your
bank
account.
I intend to part 30% of this fund to you while 70% shall be for me. I
do
need to stress
that there are practically no risk involved in this. It is going to be
a
bank-to-bank
transfer to your nominated bank account anywhere you feel safer. All I
need
from you
is to stand as the original depositor of this fund.
If you accept this offer, I will appreciate your timely response.
With regards,
Dr.Davis.A.Paul.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam