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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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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:
  • "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)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
• 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.
  • alhja.madina_ouatara05@yahoo.ca (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: alhja.madinaouatara10@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:07:12 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: ***URGENT ATTN***


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: alhja.madina_ouatara05@yahoo.ca

***URGENT ATTN***

- Dear Sir,I am Alhja Medina Ouatara the wife of Mr. Kamba Ouatara the former Director of Burkina-Faso Gold Mines in Ouagadougou.I got your contact from your country’s chamber of commerce and my spirit welcomes to deal with you. Before the death of my husband he was able to secure 65kg of alluvial gold dust and the sum of us$12.5m (twelve million five hundred thousand United States dollars) with a safekeeping company in Accra Ghana, because of the problems he was having with the president of the country then. Now is 5yrs since his death and I believe everybody’s eyes are out of the family then i decided to use the deposit to take care of my children. I have gone to the security company in Ghana and have spoken with the director about the collection of the deposit which I was used as the next of kin. My plans are to take both the money and the metal to your country where I choose to live with my children till they grow, sell the metal there and then invest them in the country. I need you to help me take care of the boxes to your country with me and my children, help me to sell the gold dust and also help me to invest the money in your country. i am a widow with four children i have no body expect my God,this deposit is the only hope we have now because the Government seized all my husbands’ property and taking care of the Children as you know is not easy. I am willing to give you 20% of the money just for you to help us safeguard this wealth so that my children wouldn’t suffer when they grow up.God will help you for helping others that ran to you for help, please kindly reach me so that we arrange on how to meet. Expecting your soonest reply. Yours faithfully,Alhja M.Ouatara

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam