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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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.

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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "inland revenue" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
• 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.
  • richardpinfo@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Richard Ofori <richardinfo8@yahoo.cn>
Reply-To: richardpinfo@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:04:42 +0800 (CST)
Subject: Greetings To You Dear Friend


From: Mr. Richard Ofori.
Standard Chartered Bank of Ghana,
Cape Coast Branch.
E-mail:richardpinfo@gmail.com

My Dear Friend,

My name is Mr. Richard Ofori. I work with the Standard Chartered Bank of Ghana as the Regional manager, Cape Coast Branch, in the Central Region of Ghana.

I am 44 years old with three lovely kids, two boys and a girl. I have packaged a transaction that will be of mutual benefit to us. As the branch manager of Standard Chartered Bank of Ghana, it is my duty to send a financial report to my head office in the capital city, Accra, at the end of each financial year.

Following the release of the second quarter financial report, December 2007, I discovered that my branch made Seven Million, Six Hundred and Twenty Thousand United States Dollars ($7,620,000.00). from the transactions accruing to the account of the Inland Revenue Service (IRS). This was not detected by the renowned auditors from my head office. I have moved the funds into what the bank call Escrow Call Account with no beneficiary.

Meanwhile as you know I can not be directly connected to this money for obvious reasons. So my contacting you is to assist me receive the funds in your bank account in your country, which I know is possible if you liaise properly with me and get 45% of the total funds as your benefit. The transfer would be made via swift and it will be a Bank-to-Bank wired transfer. All I need from you is to stand claim as the original depositor of this fund.

I will computer your particulars as the person who made the deposit in my branch, so that my head office will immediately order the transfer to your designated bank Account.

E-mail me if you think we can work together.
Thanks for your understanding and co-operation.

Yours truly,
Mr.Richard Ofori.
Branch manager (S C B).



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam