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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• 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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "million 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)
• 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.
  • paul_katunga@myway.com
  • pkatunga@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: paulkatungam@zipmail.com.br
Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:26:59 +0000
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Dear=20Sir/Madam=2C?=

Dear Sir/Madam

After due consultations with my partners I was mandated to contact you.We
need your assistance and we need it very urgently too.Our Company widely
known as "MERCK AND COMPANY" is entangled in $2.3 billion tax settlementdispute
with the Internal Revenue Service, United States Of America.

(click on the below news website for information on this matter)
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=167773,00.html
http://article.wn.com/view/2006/11/08/Merck_says_it_faces_56_billion_in_tax_liability/
http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSN1442180720070214

At present we believe that the resolution of this tax problem now will have
a material adverse material effect on the
company's financial position or liquidity.

Hence we have informed our trading partners to desist from making further
international wire transfer into our bank accounts as this will accumulate
more TAXES.

This is the reason why we decided to seek help from you to enable us use
your company account to receive the total sum of $75million Dollars sales
supply proceeds from the Government of GHANA in WESTERN AFRICA.

I received your contact email confidentialy from a friend who is a chartered
Accountant based here in the United State.
I was informed and assured that you are a very trusted and reliable person.


Our intentions are good because we want to avoid further tax disputes until
we settle our matter with IRS.Please if you are interested in helping us,you
will retain 5% of the total fund received for your assistant.

Please send me your confidential contact email,telephone and private fax
number for more information.

This is a highly confidential matter.
Best Regards
Paul katunga.
Merck & Co Inc
(confidential mail adress is. (paul_katunga@myway.com or pkatunga@yahoo.com)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam