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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:
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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:
  • "trunk box" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • +2216977530 (Senegal, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "BARRISTER. GREG ALI." <greglawfirm@greglawfirm.com>
Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2006 02:40:40 -0500
Subject: Miss Lucy Abam Frimpong's Funds Transfer. Respond Urgently.

Attn: Mr Eberhardt Muenchder,

You should be assured that i represent you and Lucy Abam Frimpong's
interests as your Senegalese based lawyer and i will do everything within my
capacity to make sure that the trunk box is released from the security and
finance company here and the funds is successfully transferred to your bank
account in your country as Lucy Abam has requested for.

The information that i need from you is meant to be appended into your legal
power of attorney which i must have to obtain from the high court of justice
here in Dakar Senegal. You have to know that without your legal power of
attorney document, there is no way the trunk box that contains the funds can
be released from the security and finance company for the transfer of the
funds to be effected.
Once the trunk box release is secured from the security and finance company
here, then it will be taken to one of the banks here for transfer to your
bank account. The tax you will pay in Europe will have to be deducted from
the total money that will arrive to your bank account and Lucy Abam already
knew about this as i have touched on that aspect during one of my discussion
with her here in my office.
You can always dial my number to speak with me. Sometimes it is difficult to
get through to phone lines here in Africa. I don't know that dialing code
you have to use to dial out from Germany, but for e.g it could be (00) (221)
then 697-75-30. I have tried yours several times, but could most of the
times be directed to answering machine device. You do not have to waste much
further time in sending the requested info so i could be able to start
working to issue your power of attorney document. Lucy Abam has hinted on
the need to procure the document as soon as possible.

Sincerely yours.

Barrister Greg Ali. Sas,Esq.
Greg Law Firm.
Plot 656 Dimba Diop Avenue.
Dakar-Senegal.
E-mail:greglawfirm@greglawfirm.com
Tel: +221-697-75-30.
Fax: +221-826-41-93.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam