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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:
  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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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "escrow account with no beneficiary" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "it will be a bank to bank transfer" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • ",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)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • abbeijohnson@fastermail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:02:15 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: FROM: ABBEI JOHNSON


DEAR FRIEND,

MY NAME IS ABBEI JOHNSON, I AM THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF STANDARD TRUST BANK GHANA LTD, OF COTONOU BRANCH IN THE WESTERN REGION OF BENIN REPUBLIC. I AM 39 YEARS OLD MARRIED WITH TWO KIDS. I WRITE YOU THIS PROPOSAL IN GOOD FAITH AND I HOPE IT RECEIVES YOUR WORTHY INTEREST AS YOU AND I WILL IMMENSELY BENEFIT FROM THIS TRANSACTION.

AS THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF THE ABOVE NAMED BANK, IT IS MY DUTY TO SEND IN A FINANCIAL REPORT TO MY HEAD OFFICE IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF ACCRA, GHANA AT THE END OF EACH BUSINESS YEAR. ON THE COURSE OF LAST YEAR BUSINESS REPORT, I DISCOVERED THAT MY BRANCH IN WHICH I AM THE MANAGER MADE AN ESTIMATED SUM OF FIVE MILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS($5.7,000,000) WHICH MY HEAD OFFICE ARE NOT AWARE OF AND WILL NEVER BE AWARE OF. THIS FUNDS HAS BEEN PLACED ON WHAT WE CALL ESCROW ACCOUNT WITH NO BENEFICIARY. AS AN OFFICER 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 RISK INVOLVED, IT WILL BE A BANK TO BANK TRANSFER.

ALL I NEED FROM YOU IS TO STAND AND CLAIM AS THE ORIGINAL DEPOSITOR OF
THIS FUNDS WHO MADE THE DEPOSIT WITH MY BRANCH SO THAT MY HEAD OFFICE CAN ORDER THE TRANSFER OF THE FUNDS TO YOUR DESIGNATED/CHOSEN BANK ACCOUNT. IF YOU ACCEPT TO WORK WITH ME, I WILL APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. PLEASE SEND YOUR REPLY TO abbeijohnson@fastermail.com I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING POSITIVELY FROM YOU SO THAT WE CAN GO OVER THE WORKING DETAILS. THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION AND GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

YOURS TRULY
MR ABBEI JOHNSON.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam