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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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:
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • michael_okeke205@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: michael okeke <michaelokeke13@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <michael_okeke205@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2007 17:17:36 +0000
Subject: I am seeking your co-operation



From: Michael Okeke. I wish to inform you that this letter is not a hoax mail and I urge you to treat it serious. This letter must come to you as a big surprise, but I believe it is only a day that people meet and become great friends and business partners.
My name is Michael Okeke the present branch Manager of a bank here in Benin. I write you this proposal in good faith, believing that I can trust you with the information I am about to reveal to you. Like I said, I have a transaction that will benefit both of us, as your assistance is required as a foreigner.

I use to head the Accounts department in my bank head office, but last December I was asked to take position of a Manager of our branch in Cotonou who passed on, so that was how I became the present Manager and discovered a fortune. As I resumed duty, I discovered an account with total sum of $7,800,000 (Seven Million Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) that has not been operated on for the past years. From my investigation, I found out that this account belongs to one Late Mr. ANDREAS SCHRANNER a German great industrialist and a resident of Munich, who unfortunately lost his life along with his entire families in the plane crash of CONCORDE AIRLINE [Flight AF4590] which crashed on 25TH JULY, 2000.
You shall read more news about the crash on visiting this site, which I got during my investigation; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm.

The account is escrow call account, a secret type of account in my bank and no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary. I have kept a close monitoring of the account since then and nobody has come forward to ask about the money as next of kin to the late Mr. Andreas Schranner, meaning that no one is aware of the account. I cannot directly take out this money without the help of a foreigner and that is why I am contacting you for an assistance to claim the funds and share it with me. As the Manager of my bank branch, I have the power to influence the release of the funds to any foreigner that comes up as the next of kin to the account, with the correct information concerning the account, which I shall give you.

I am seeking your co-operation to present you as the next of kin to the account, so that my bank head quarters will release the funds to you. There is practically no risk involved, the transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of law. If you accept to work with me, I want you to state how you wish us to share the funds in percentage, so that both parties will be satisfied. Contact me as soon as you receive this message if you feel we can work together, so we can go over the details. Thanking you in advance and may God bless you Please, For confidentiality reasons, kindly reply to my private Email: ( michael_okeke205@yahoo.co.uk) The information i require from you is this;
(1) Your full name (2) address (3) telephone/ fax number. (4)Age

I wait your urgent response.
Regards, Michael Okeke.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam