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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.

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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:
  • "certified bank draft" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
• 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.
  • faithsanusi@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Goldac Mallam" <goldmacmallam01@mailbox.hu>
Reply-To: goldacmallam@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 09:12:49 -0800
Subject: CONTACT MY SECRETARY MRS. FAITH SANUSI FOR YOUR COMPENSATION.


Dearest. Friend,

This is to inform you about my success in getting the fund transferred
under the cooperation of a new partner from LONDON UK. Presently i'm
in UK for investment projects with my own share of the total sum.

Meanwhile,i didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me
in transferring those funds despite that it failed us some how. Now
contact my secretary in Ghana,

Name: Mrs. Faith Sanusi.
Email: faithsanusi@yahoo.com

Ask him to send you the total (US$1,000.000.00) in a Certified Bank Draft
which i kept for your compensation for all the past efforts and attempts to
assist me in this matter.

I appreciated your efforts at that time very much. So feel free and
get in touched with my secretary Mrs. Faith Sanusi and instruct him
where to send the amount to you. Please do let me know immediately you
receive it so that we can share the joy after all the sufferness at
that time. At the moment, i am very busy here because of the
investment projects which I and my new partner are having at hand.

Finally I have forwarded instruction to my secretary to send the
Confirmable Bank Draft to you without any delay.

Best Regards,
Goldmac Mallam.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam