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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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)
  • "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)
  • "lome togo" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2289367153 (Togo, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: ken shasha <ken_shasha2@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <ken58.shasha@yahoo.de>
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:30:33 +1200
Subject: Re: TREAT AS URGENT DEAR FRIEND CALL ON +228-9367153



>FROM Ken Shasha. DIRECTOR AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT FOREIGN OPERATION DEPARTMENT BANQUE CENTRALE LOME TOGO.MOBILE PHONE +228-9367153 Dear Friend, Pleasure writting to you, I am Ken Shasha, the director incharge of auditing and accounting unit in foreign operations department of Banque Céntrale here in lome Togo. I and my colleagues deem it fit to contact you regarding to a international fund transfer.We discovered the sum of fourthy eight million five hundred thousand United States Dollars (USD48.5M) belonging to a deceased customer of this bank who happens to be a German citizen. The fund has been lying in a suspence account without anybody coming to put claim over the money since the account owner died in a gasly motor accident with his family in Accra Ghana two years ago.The said fund is now ready for transfer to a foriegn account whose owner will be portrayed as the beneficiary and next of kin to the deceased customer of the bank. The foriegn account owner will impost himself as the next of kin to the deceased and respond positively like a true next of kin who wishes to speed up the release and transfer of his inherited money. The over due fund if not claimed by the end of next quarter, the government of the Federal Republic of Togo will take over the ownership of the fund in line with the Federal Edict Act of 1979.We do not want the government to take over the ownership of this money, that is why I contacted you for us to do the deal together, so that we will portray you as the bonafide next of kin to the deceased who is by name Mr. Adolf Sterr. If you accept to carry out this project with us, we will offer you 25% of the total sum, while I and my colleagues will take 75% of the total sum. Upon your acceptance to do this deal with us, we will jointly effect the transfer within eight working days.Be rest assured, this transaction carries no risk and no extra responssibilities on your part, except the above mentioned roles and normally you will be required to maintain absolute information and absolute secrecy throughout the duration of this transaction,because discussing it with a third party might jeopardise the entire transaction. I am looking forward to receive your interesting reply on this project as that will greatly enrich the both of us. CAN YOU CHAMPION THIS TRANSACTION??.......................... Best Regards, Ken Shasha. +228-9367153.
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam