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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• 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.
  • joseph.okonkwo@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Kenneth Ezike <k.ezike@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:25:47 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: very urgent please



From: Mr.Joseph=A0 Okonkwo=20
The Manager International
Commercial Bank Ghana
First Light Branch
Accra, Ghana.
=A0
Attention: Dear sir,

First I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue=
of it's nature as being utterly Confidential and top secret.=20

Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one appreh=
ensive and worried, but I am assuring you that this is real and genuine.

My name is (Mr.joseph okonkwo) I am the manager of the international commer=
cial bank Ghana, first light branch. I am a Ghanaian married with two kids.
=A0
I am writing to solicit your assistance in the transfer of us($3.5m dollas)=
..

This fund is the excess of what my branch in which I am the manager made as=
profit during the last year.=20

I have already submitted an approved end of the year report for the year 20=
08 to my head office here in Accra and they will never know of this excess.
=A0
I have since then, placed this amount of us($3.5m=A0dollas) on a suspense a=
ccount without a beneficiary.
=A0
As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money thu=
s I am impelled to request for your assistance to receive this money into y=
our bank account.
=A0
I intend to part 30% of this fund to you while 70% shall be for me. I do ne=
ed to stress that there are practically no risk involved in this.=20

It's going to be a bank-to-bank transfer. All I need from you is to stand a=
s the original depositor of this fund.
=A0
If you accept this offer, I will appreciate your timely response you can re=
ach me directly on this=20
Email. (joseph.okonkwo@yahoo.com )
=A0
With Regards,

Mr.joseph okonkwo

=A0
+233 272 738 088=0A=0A=0A

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam