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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• 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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2214409966 (Senegal, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • markovie@mixmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Mark Ovie." <markovie@mixmaill.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: markovie@mixmail.com
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 18:31:50 +0000
Subject: Urgent proposal!!

From The Desk Of Mark Ovie
General Auditor Bank of Africa
Dakar,Senegal.
Private Email:(markovie@mixmail.com)
Tel:+221 4409966.

Dear Friend,
Firstly i will like to appologise to you if this mail by anyway is a source of inconvinience to you, i am greatly sorry, all i need is a little favor which i believe will do us both good if you find it in good faith to do business with me.
I am Mr. Mark Ovie, the general auditor of Bank of Africa Dakar, Senegal. I will go straight to the point of my mail to you and I do hope you will view it seriously as an opportunity for us both.There is this floating fund, which is to the tune of Seventeen Million, six hundred thousand American Dollars (17,600,000.00 USD), which has been floating in an account here since 2000 after the death of the true owner of the funds. Late Mr. Morris Thompson, an American who was a private businessman. He unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, which crashed on January 31st 2000,including his wife and only daughter.
I just came across his file again when I was auditing all the credit account in Bank of Africa and I found out that not for once has anybody ever come on behalf of the Late Mr. Morris Thompson as his next of kin to claim the funds. Hence I have been monitoring this account since I discovered this information.
In this case I have concluded to contact you, if you will be willing to execute this transaction with me, then I will instruct you on how to claim or stand as the next of kin to the late Mr. Morris Thompson, so that the funds could be reverted to your account, that is if only you will co-operate with me and not to betray me at the end. As soon as I confirm your interest and co-operation I will give you the guidelines on how you can transact with the bank for the approval of the funds to your account.
As soon as everything is been put into place for the transfer I will apply for an annual leave to obtain a visa to travel to your country for my share of the funds. The sharing ratio of the funds will be 50% for me, 40% for you and the remaining 10% will be for expenses we will incurred during the transaction. I will like to advice you to please discard this mail if you by any reason find no interest in my proposal,and please. On no account should you try contacting me through official channels. I will appreciate a call from you with the telephone number provided above, letting me know of your interest to do business with me.
I thank you for your understanding and I look forward to a favorable response.

Mr. Mark Ovie.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam