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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
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• 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.

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)
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • james_mensah3@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "james mensah" <men_james220@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: james_mensah3@myway.com
Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2007 10:29:44 -0500
Subject: From James

James Mensah
Manager Eastern Region Chapter two Branch
International Commercial Bank of Ghana Ltd

West Africa

 

Dear Friend,

I am contacting you base on mutual trust as I do not want problems but just hope you can assist me in actualizing the under mentioned project.I am in control of the sum of one million, eight hundred and fifty thousand US dollars ($1,850,000.00) which was an excess of profit made by our Eastern Region Branch Office in the Last quarter Financial Summery of the year 2005, The afore Mentioned amount I have  carefully placed in an Escrow Deposit Account with systematize procedures without declaring it to my executives.Can I really trust you to hold this money for me until I arrive your country and pick it up myself and you deduct 30% of the total money as your commission if you accept my offer you can contact me immediately.

 

All I need, is you to provide me with a good current bank account where I can move this money through a laid down modalities.I will confidentially, give you all the information concerning the account and the date of deposit so that you can apply to the bank for the release of the money. There is practically no risk involved. It will be a bank-to-bank wire transfer. I hope you understand my situation.

Be rest assured that this transaction is absolutely risk free.I await your urgent response.You can mail me back on this email address:james_mensah3@myway.com

Thank you and God bless.
Yours truly,
James Mensah

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Now you can see trouble…before he arrives

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam