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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "David Ansah" <davidansah10155@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: david_ansah2008@hotmail.fr
Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2008 16:30:25 +0200
Subject: Dear friend,


*Standard Chartered Bank.
Tarkwa branch.

Dear friend,

My name is Mr. David Ansah.

I am the regional manager of Standard Chartered Bank of Ghana tarkwa branch
in the eastern region of Ghana . I got your contact when I was searching for
an overseas partner to assist me through banker's seminar held recently.

I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and I, as the
regional manager of the Standard Chartered Bank it is my duty to send in a
financial report to my head office in the capital city Accra at the end of
each business year. On the course of report and submission of the end of the
year (2006) financial activities of my branch to the head office. I
discovered that my branch in which I am the head and the manager made an
outstanding profit of us$3,580,000.00 (three million five hundred and eighty
thousand united states dollars only) which is unaccounted and undeclared and
of which the head office is not aware and will never be aware of.

I have placed this funds in what we call escrow call account with no
beneficiary.

As the branch manager of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this
money, so my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive this money in
your bank account and get 30% of the total funds as commission.

There are practically no risks involved, it will be a bank-to-bank transfer,
and all I need from you is to stand claim as the original depositor of these
funds who made the deposit with my branch so that my head office can order
the transfer to your designated bank account.

I will be very glad if you can return to me with urgent dispatch to enable
me advise you on the modalities.

I await in anticipation to receive your immediate response.

Regards,
Mr. David Ansah.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam