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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:

• 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:
  • "million us 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)
  • "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "cotonou" (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.
  • grace_kodjo01@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "grace kodjo" <grace_kodjo27@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 15:48:09 +0100
Subject: FROM MRS GRACE KODJO

ATTENTION PLEASE:
CREDIT TRANSFER AND INVESTMENT.

Permit me to inform you of my desire to do business with you with my money
in your country.I am a 32 year old business woman from Sierra Loene in west
Africa.I elate to inform you that I inherited a total sum of $22 million Us
dollars (twenty two million dollars) from my late husband Chief Samuel
Kodjo, a gold and diamond dealer who was murdered by the former Liberian
president Mr Charles Taylor over the dispute in their diamond and gold
deal. This money which is concealled in a computerised suitcase is deposited
in a safe deposit
company here in Cotonou, Republic of Benin where I am presently taking
refuge with my two kids as family treasure not money for security
reason.That is to say that the deposit company does not know that the
suitcase contain money.

This was done under a high powered government conection because the
president of this country Mr Yayi Bony is a family friend. your assistance
is now sought in the transfer of this money to you country for investment
into any lucrative business of your choice.By this mail, you are requested
to visit me here for familiarisation and to enable us arrange on how to get
this suitcase out from the deposit company and transfer this money into your
account in your country after which I will go back with you.

But if you can not come down here, the director of the deposit company can
arrange and bring it to you in your country under their diplomatic coverage
system just the same way it was brought from my country to this place.You
will be required to send me your pic to enable me know the person that I am
dealing with.I will send mine soon after repairing my scan machine which is
now faulty.You will also be required to send to my lawyer, a copy of your
international passport or company registration certificate if any to enable
him prepare an agreement for us.

For rendering this service, you will be highly compensated, a situation that
will be discussed later. I want you to take this transaction very serious
because it will benefit you.I will later tell you why I reposed this trust
and confidence in you, a person I have not met before. we must act fast
because it cost me $50 weekly as demurage to the deposit company keeping
this suitcase and the earlier we remove it from there the better for us.
Looking forward to your reply at your earliest convinience.Please contact me
to my private mail box for security reasons: grace_kodjo01@yahoo.co.uk

God bless. Sincerely yours.
Mrs Grace Kodjo.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam