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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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.

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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "foreign exchange" (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: "eosei_04 Gazeta.pl" <eosei_04@gazeta.pl>
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2008 14:55:32 +0100
Subject: URGENT REPLY


*FROM THE DESK OF
MR EMMANUEL OSEI REGIONAL MANAGER
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK
KANESHIE BRANCH,ACCRA
GHANA.

Attn:SIR,
My name is MR EMMANUEL OSEI I am the regional Accountant Manager of the
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK OF GHANA . I got your information during my
search through the Internet. I am 44years of age and married with 4 lovely
kids. It may interest you to hear that I am a man of PEACE and don't want
problem, I only hope we can assist each other. If you don't want this
business offer kindly forget it as I will not contact you again.


I want to transfer to overseas the sum of eight million five thousand
Dollars i mean U.S.Dollars(U.S. $8.5,000,000.00) from GHANA here.
I want to ask you to kindly look for a reliable and honest person who will
be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a
new bank account immediately to receive this money, though an empty bank
account could serve this purpose as long as you will remain honest to me
till the end of this important business trusting in you and believing in God
that you will never let me down either now or in time to come.

I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1990 and
since 2006nobody has operated on this account again. After going through
some old files in the records, I discovered that the owner of the account
died without a "Heir apparent to the throne hence the money is floating and
if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing.

The owner of this MONEY who is a foreigner and an industrialist died, since
1990,until now no other person(s) knows about this account or could give any
documentary evidence concerning this account. As such this account has no
other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me that the foreigner who
is the owner of the fund, until his death was the manager Oriental Diamond
Company, in SOUTH AFRICA.
However, if you are interested in this business we will start the
transaction immdetily without any disappointment from you.

I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be
approved to a local account, without valid international foreign
"Agreement", but could only be approved to any foreigner with valid
international credentials: passport or drivers license and foreign account
because this sum is in U.S. dollars and the former owner of the account a
foreigner too, thus the money could only be approved into a foreign account.

However, knowing all this, we will reach a binding agreement in this
regards. As a matter of urgency, I will inform you the next step to take,
while you send your private telephone and fax number including the full
details of the account to be used for the transfer. Before i fly to your
country for withdrawal,Sharing of the money will be in your country.

I need your full co-operation to make this business a success one, because
the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has
correct information of this account, which I will give to you, upon your
positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet
up with the instructions of a key bank official who is deeply involved with
me in this business. I
need your strong assurance that you will never let me down.

With my influence and the position in the bank we can transfer this money to
any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with assurance that
this money will be intact pending till my physical arrival in your country
for sharing.
I will apply for annual leave to get visa immediately I hear from you that
you are ready to act as directed.

To prove the authenticity of the business I will use my position and
influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to
your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries,
foreign exchange departments, and embassy and Board of Internal Revenue
services.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total
amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might
have incurred during this process.
I look forward to your earliest reply.

My Regards,
MR EMMANUEL OSEI. *

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam