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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
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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.

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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million united states 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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: William Addo <wwaddo_g10@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <williamaddo10@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2007 13:52:07 +0200
Subject: From Mr. Addo



>From the Desk of Mr. William AddoDear Friend,In brief introduction, I am William Addo 47 years old married and the Director of INTERCONTINENTAL TRUST SECURITY & SERVICES LTD. in Ghana. I got your contact and credibility from a reliable source and I decided to contact you believing that by the grace of God, you will not disappoint me over this deal. I have been working with this company for over ten years. Within this period, I have watched with meticulous precision how African Head of State, Ministers and government functionaries have being using Intercontinental Trust Security Company to move huge sums of money to their foreign partners. They bring in these consignments of funds {CASH} and secretly declare the contents as FAMILY ASSETS. Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire {Dead}, Laurent Kabila of Zaire {Dead}, Foday Sanko of Sierra Leone {Dead}, Major Korromah of Sierra Leone {Dead}, Chief Tamba Taylor of Liberia {Dead}, General Yademah of Togo {Dead} Etc. All of these people have consignments deposited with my office. Their foreign partners are claiming most of these consignments. A lot of them are lying down here unclaimed, nobody have ever come for them because in most cases, the Certificate of deposit are never available to anybody except the depositors.Since the inception of 2000, Our Company's Management change the procedure of claims of consignment. As soon as you are able to produce all the secret information as contained in the secret file of any consignment, it will be released to you upon demand from our record. So I am seeking for a trustworthy foreigner who can be of assistance in sourcing a sound investment opportunities. I have finalized every arrangement for you to come and claim consignment safe custody item No. 001513 containing {$21M} Twenty-One Million United States Dollars. My duty is to supply you with all the information and documents by fax or e-mail and you will send it by attachment to the management of our company. The procedure is simple, I will use your name, address and passport number to change the original document in the file. I suggest our mode of sharing is 50% for me and 50% for you. Contact me through my personal email address and I will direct you on what to do.Yours Sincerely,William Addo.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam