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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: Dr Issaka Mensah <drissakamensah_icb@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 01:43:58 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Treat as urgent!!!


FROM THE DESK OF
DR ISSAKA MENSAH
I-C- BANK GHANA LTD
Tel: 00233 244822041

Attn: NJoe Wein,

Do accept my sincere apologies if my mail does not meet your personal ethics. I will introduce myself as Dr Issaka Mensah, a senior staff in the accounting Management Department of the above firm (INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK LTD) here in Ghana. One of our accounts with holding balance of $18.700.000.00 (Eighteen Million Seven Hundred Thousand U-S Dollars) has been dormant and has not been operated for the past four (4) years now. From my investigations and confirmations, the owner of this account, a foreigner and a national of your country by name Kurt Wein, died in April, 2002 through a car accident alongside his wife.

And since then nobody has done anything as regards the claiming of this money because he has no family members who are aware of the existence of neither the account nor the funds. I have secretly discussed this matter with a senior official of this company and we have agreed to find a reliable foreign partner to deal with.

We thus propose to do business with you, standing in as the next of kin and beneficiary of these funds from the deceased, and funds released to you after due processes have been followed. This transaction is totally free of risk and troubles as the fund is legitimate and does not originate from drug, money laundry, terrorism or any other illegal act. On receipt of your response I will furnish you with detailed clarification as it relates to this mutual benefit transaction. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible if you are interested.

Regards,
Dr Issaka Mensah.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam