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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
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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)
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Mohamed Waleed <mohamedwaleed51@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:42:28 -0800 (PST)
Subject: TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY


FROM THE DESK OF MR MOHAMED WALEED
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER,
BANK OF GHANA
ACCRA GHANA
WEST AFRICA.

DEAR FRIEND,

I KNOW THAT THIS LETTER MAY COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE,I GOT YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS FROM THE GHANA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WHILE I WAS SEARCHING FOR SOMEBODY THAT HAS SIMILAR NAME WITH OUR DECEASED CUSTOMER.

I AM THE MANAGER OF BILL AND EXCHANGE BANK OF GHANA (B.O.G) AT FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT .THERE IS A BUSINESS I WOULD WANT YOU TO CHAMPION FOR ME.IN MY DEPARTMENT WE DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF ($ 16.500.000 U.S) SIXTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSANDS US DOLLARS) . IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMER WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN 11TH SEPTEMBER 2003 IN A PLANE CRASH.

SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE CANNOT
RELEASE IT UNLESS SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED, AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE LEARNT THAT ALL HIS SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN'S OR RELATION DIED ALONG SIDE WITH HIM IN THE PLANE CRASH LEAVING NOBODY BEHIND FOR THE CLAIM.

IT IS THEREFORE UPON THIS DISCOVERY THAT I NOW DECIDED TO MAKE THIS BUSINNESS PROPOSAL TO YOU AND RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED FOR SAFETY AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND I DONT WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL.

THE BANKING LAW AND GUIDELINE HERE STIPULATES THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAINED UNCLAIMED AFTER FIVE YEARS, THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERED INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUND.

THE REQUEST OF FOREIGNER AS NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A GHANIAN CANNOT STAND AS NEXT OF KIN TO A FOREIGNER. I AGREED THAT 20 % OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER, IN RESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF A FOREIGN ACCOUNT, AND 10 % WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR EXPENSES INCURED DURING THE BUSINESS AND 70 % WOULD BE FOR ME.

THERE AFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGES INDICATED. THEREFORE TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOU AS ARRANGED,YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS RELATIONS OR NEXT OF KIN OF THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR BANK NAME, YOUR
BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHERE IN THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED.

ALL MODALITIES OF THIS TRANSACTION HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY WORKED OUT AND ONCE STARTED WILL NOT TAKE MORE THAN FOURTEEN(14) WORKING DAYS, WITH YOUR FULL SUPPORT. THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE.IT INVOLVE NO ANY IMPLICATION AND NO ANY PRECAUTION THERE AFTER.UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY FAX OR EMAIL THE TEXT OF THE APPLICATION.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS HITCH FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY ATOM OF FEAR AS ALL REQUIRED ARRANGEMENTS HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER. YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER.

TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,
MOHAMED WALEED
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER,
BANK OF GHANA



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam