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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:

• 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)
• 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.
  • austinallen6@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: ghaustinallen1@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:13:05 +0000
Subject: UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL//FROM MR,AUSTIN ALLEN

The Manager International
Commercial Bank Ghana
First Light Branch
Accra, Ghana

Dear Friend,

Pardon me for not having the pleasure of knowing your mindset before making
you this offer and it is utterly confidential and genuine by virtue of its
nature.I write to solicit your assistance in a funds transfer deal involving
US$ 3.5M.This fund has been stashed out of the excess profit made last year
by my branch office the International Commercial Bank which I am the
manager.

I have already submitted an approved end of the year report for the year
2007 to my head office here in Accra-Ghana and they will never know of this
excess. I have since then, placed this amount on a Non-Investment Account
without a beneficiary.

Upon your response, I will configure your name on our database as holder of
the Non-Investment Account. I will then guide you on how to apply to my head
office for the Account Closure/ bank-to-bank remittance of the funds to your
designated bank account.

If you concur with this proposal, I intend for you to retain 40% of the
funds while 60% shall be for me.

Kindly forward your response to: (austinallen6@hotmail.com)

With Regards,
Mr,Austin Allen

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam