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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• 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.
  • stevenowusu56@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Steven owusu" <stevenowusu209@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2007 11:33:16 +0100
Subject: Reply urgent, it is very important.

From Mr. Steven Owusu
Email:stevenowusu56@yahoo.co.uk

Dear Friend

My name is Steven Owusu I am the regional manager of Standard Chartered bank
of Ghana Ltd Tema branch in the greater Accra region of Ghana. I got your
information on a recent bank conference with other West African countries
held in Lome the capital city of Togo in West Africa. I write you this
proposal in good faith; I am 50 years old married with four children. I am a
devoted Christian and a man of peace.

I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and me, as the
regional manager of the Standard Chartered bank it is my duty to send in a
financial report to my head office in the capital city Accra at the end of
each business year.

On the course of 2006 business report, I discovered that my branch in which
I am the manager made three million six hundred and fifty thousand united
state dollars ($3,650,000.00) which my head office are not aware of and will
never be aware of. I have placed this funds on what we call escrow call
account with no beneficiary. As an officer of this bank I cannot be directly
connected to this money, so my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive
this money in your bank account and get 30% of the total funds as
commission.

There are practically no risks involved, it will be a bank-to-bank transfer
and all I need from you is to stand and claim as the original depositor of
these funds who made the deposit with my branch so that my head office can
order the transfer to your designated bank account.
If you accept to work with me I will appreciate it very much. You get back
to me on this my email address stevenowusu56@yahoo.co.uk so that we can go
over the details.

Thank you in advance and May God bless you and your family.

Yours truly
Mr. Steven Owusu

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam