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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
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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:
  • "million us 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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "i feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Osafo Marfo" <osamarfo9@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 06:29:25 +0100
Subject: From Hon, Osafo Marfo,Accra Ghana.


>From Hon, Osafo Marfo,

Greetings to you, with warm heart I offer my friendship, and I hope this
mail meets you in good time. I feel
quite safe dealing with you in this important business.

Though, this medium (Internet) has been greatly abused, I choose to reach
you through it because it still
remains one of the fastest medium of communication.

I am Hon. Osafo Marfo,a politician, I was once Ghana's finance minister and
now the minister for education and
sports.And a lot of drug and financial scandals arose in our party which
might deny the party victory in the
2008 election.
However, strange or surprising this contact might seem to you as we have not
met personally or had any dealings
in the past,but I know every friendship or relationship starts one day.
I have some fund,the sum of {$57m} fifty seven million US Dollars. which I
will like to invest abroad and I need you as a partner.
We just finished to host the Nations of Africa for the football tournament
and constructions has come to an end so the little fund remaining has to be
taken care of.

NOTE;The utmost confidentiality of this deal must be respected because the
risk of exposure is jail and more over I am still in the government.
Please, if this offer meets your kind approval, then get back to me for more
details on this very email address.
Thanking you in advance for your acceptance.

Sincerely,

Hon.Osafo Marf.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam