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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "transfer into your account" (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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
• 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.
  • mensah.prince_mensahprince@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: Prince Mensah <princemensa@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:57:21 +0000
Subject: Urgent Assistance needed.




My Dear Friend , I am Mr.Prince Mensah, the Deputy Managing Director, Finance & Banking Services of the Ecobank of Ghana LTD,I have a B.Sc. Degree in Economics from the University of London and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of the Bankers, (FCIB) I am also the current President of the Institute of Bankers, Ghana. I received your contact from a financial source records and current payment approval sheets among others listed.However, I wish to inform you that I have a very big financial project; I would like us to work towards, which I will procure all the necessary documents via the Law Court of Judiciary that will guarantee the transfer of the funds into any nominated bank from your side. I wish to inform that I have the sum of US$32,000,000.00(Million) deposited in a dormant bank account awaiting to assign a beneficiary name before it would be transferred. I have been depositing funds into this account for the past ten years little by little up to this time, from joint deal transfer of gold funds sales with a company –name- Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC), which is part British-owned that deals on gold mining in the village of Sanso in Obuasi, Central-Eastern Ghana. Please, I would like you to contact me with your full details so that both of us can move this fund into a very safe place without any problem. I hope to hear from you so that I will give you more details regarding this transfer.
Kindly contact me on eMAIL :Your full name..........................Your telephone and fax number.................your home address .....................................Your ID......................................
This will enable me proceed to the head office of the Bank for the immediate transfer into your account.
Yours truly, Mr.Prince Mensah.prince_mensahprince@yahoo.com.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam