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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "mensah_akuvi" <mensah_akuvi@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 10:51:31 GMT
Subject: (No subject header)


FROM AKUVI MENSAH
ACCOUNTING UNIT.
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT.
ECOWAS DEVELOPMENT BANK
ECOWAS MAIN OFFICE COMPLEX
LOME TOGO WEST AFRICA,


Good Day,

I am Mr.Akuvi Mensah, Manager and Chief of Accountant for
the Bills and Credits in the Foreign Remittance Department
section of (Ecowas Development Bank); Lome-Togo in West
Africa.

I got your contact through an international web directory
while I was searching for a reliable and trustwordthy person
who can not betray me, because I have been praying to my God
to direct me to the rightful person to entrust this fund to.

There was one of our client Mr.JOHN VOELKER,He died on 1999
October in a plane crash which also claimed the life of his
only child, Who untill death was the next of kin to the
fathers money in our bank EDB

I am the only Manager that knows his bank's information,
because he use to be my good friend when he was alive,and I
am the only person who was aware that this client and his
son(next of kin) is dead.

He left at about (US$5.5Million) in his account. At this
juncture I want to transfer this US$5.5Million into the
account you wish to nominate. I will do the paper work here
claiming that you are the next of kin to this client, and
that you want to transfer the sum into your account abroad.

The service of an Attorney will be need to seal everything
and to change the data and information in his file so as to
enable us transfer it swiftly. If we employ the service of a
highly Accredited Lawyer that means it will take us only 7
to 10 working days to transfer this money into your
nominated account.

He will arrange for the affidavit of support from Ministry
of Justice claiming that you are the right beneficiary of
this fund. I will give you 30% of the total sum of the
US$5.5Million for assisting me. The transaction is 100% risk
free .

Yours Faithfully,
Mr.Akuvi Mensah.

N.B: PLEASE FORWARD TO ME YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX
NUMBER INCASE I NEED URGENT CONVERSATION WITH YOU

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam