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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "million 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)
  • "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)
  • "you will be given 30%" (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)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "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.
• 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.
  • drwilliammensah01@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 04:22:07 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Att: President/Ceo


Att: President/Ceo
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Private And Confidential
=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
I am Dr.William Mensah , the chief executive of (I.C.B) , Please this is im=
portant and very urgent I have decided to contact you because there is an a=
ccount opened in this bank in 1999 and since 2001 and nobody has operated o=
n this account again. After going through some old files in the records, I =
discovered that if I do not remit this money out urgently it would be forfe=
ited for nothing. The owner of this account is Mr Smith B. Andrew, a foreig=
ner, and a miner at a Gold Company, a geologist by profession and died sinc=
e 2000. No other person knows this account or anything concerning it, the a=
ccount has no beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that th=
e company does not know anything about this account and the money in this a=
ccount is USD5,000,000.00 (Five Million United States Dollars).
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approv=
ed to a local bank here but can only be approved to any foreign account bec=
ause the money is in United State Dollars and the former owner Mr. Smith B.=
Andrew a foreigner too. I know that this message will come to you as a sur=
prise as we don't know ourselves before, but be sure that it is real and ge=
nuine business. I only got your contact from internal affairs department wi=
th believe in God that you will never let me down in this business, conside=
ring my position as a public servant. You are the only person that I have c=
ontacted in this business, so please reply me urgently so that I will infor=
m you on the next step to take immediately. Send also your private telephon=
e and fax number including the full details of your account to be used for =
the deposit. I want us to meet face to face to sign a binding agreement to =
bind us together. And I will fly to your country for withdrawal and
sharing and other investment.
Meanwhile, I am contacting you because of the need to involve a foreigner w=
ith a foreign account and foreign beneficiary. I need your full co-operatio=
n to make this work fine because the management is ready to approve this pa=
yment to any foreigner who has the correct information of this account, whi=
ch I will give you as soon as you indicate your sincerity to co-operate wit=
h me, and capability to handle such amount in strict confidence and trust a=
ccording to my instruction and Advice for our mutual benefit because this o=
pportunity may never come again in my life.=20
I need your strong assurance and trust that you will not let me down and Wi=
th my position in the office I don't want anything that will Jeopardize my =
job so I advice that we should make secrecy and confidentiality our primary=
working condition, bearing in mind that I am a public servant I will also =
use my position and influence to effect legal approvals and onward transfer=
of this=A0 money into your account with appropriate clearance form of the =
ministries and foreign exchange department. At the Conclusion of this busin=
ess, you will be given 30% of the total amount, 60% will be for me=A0 while=
10% will be for any foreseen expenses that occur during the time of=A0 the=
transaction, I look forward to your earliest reply to my private mail box:=
If you accept my offer you can contact me immediately via my personal emai=
l address:(drwilliammensah01@yahoo.com).Thank you and God bless.
=A0Yours Sincerely,
Dr.William Mensah=0A=0A=0A

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam