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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
  • "keep it confidential" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
  • "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • amed_hati@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Ahmed Al-Hati." <amed1@consultants.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: amed_hati@yahoo.fr
Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2006 19:05:11 +0400
Subject: Urgent investment.

Dear friend,
Please I am contacting you as I got your contacts through personal research, and had to reach you through this medium.I think you are a reputable and honest person that i can invest/partnership with,but pardon and forgive me for this breach of protocol as I do not know how to personally communicate with you.I know this letter will come to you as a surprise; but this letter is borne out of my desire to establish this mutual business relationship with you,please keep it confidential!
I have the honor, with utmost good faith do appeal to you sincerely to render me an assistance by way of supporting me to bring over to your country the sum of $16 000 000.00 sixteen million united states dollars only.
Please read this letter with an open heart,I am Mr. Ahmed Al-Hati the son of Prof. Mohamad Fahim the former deputy minister for solid minerals and natural resouces under the ousted civilian government in Liberia under the regime of President Charles Taylor.
My father was killed and mutilated by the opposition gorvernment led by president Charles Taylor during his office as president of Liberia.Due to the sudden death of my father,I have been thrown into a state of hopelessness by the present administration.I have lost confidence with anybody within my country.
Though,I do not know to what extent you are familiar with the previous and recent political events and disturbances in Liberia,but the pressure of war drove me and my mother out of Liberia into exile in South Africa where we have been living under political asylum for 3 years.Sadly,my mother died of cancer and was buried here in South Africa. Prior to her death,she handed over to me a certificate meant for a secret deposit which my father made in a security/finance company in South Africa.
This deposit is worth $16.000.000.00 sixteen million united states dollars only, and this money is in cash.My father made this deposit in the heat of the conflict then in my country, with the hope to convert these money to his personal use at the end of the war,unfortunately he was killed when the conflict intensified as result of his opposition to the rebel forces.
After my mother's funeral,I contacted the security company to confirm this deposit and establish ownership as well made an arrangement for this deposit to be moved through diplomatic channel.I deposited $16 million dollars with a Fiduciary company. Presently, this money is still with the Fiduciary Company whose name is witheld for now till we communicate. I will be happy if you can receive this funds and keep it safe I assure you a good negotiatable percentage of this fund according to our agreeable cut if you assist me to retrieve and reinvest this money in any profitable area of business in your country.
I am seeking for your honest and sincere participation in the retrievement and reinvestment of this money.Upon the claim of the funds,I would like that your esteemed firm to invest the funds in projects that cannot be traced to my family name.
Immediately upon your response, indicating your willingness to assist me on the above, I will file an application through my lawyer transferring the deeds of ownership to your name as the beneficiary.I cannot do it alone due to my complete ignorance of the business world;I wish i can partnership with you.
I need your assistance urgently,because the more this consignment is still with the security company, the more the demurrage accumulates.While awaiting your early response, thank you in anticipation of your most valued assistance fast.
Please write via my private email:[amed_hati@yahoo.fr] ,please keep very confidential!.
In anticipation of an early reply.
Truely yours,
Mr. Ahmed Al-Hati.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam