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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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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Fraud email example:

From: "Mr williams mensah" <williams0022@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: williams_mensah@walla.com
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 22:48:30 -0800
Subject: I AWAIT IN ANTICIPATION FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

DEAR,

Compliment of the season.I got to know of you in search for a reputable and reliable person to assist me in an urgent need requiring utmost trust and confidentiality. and I do fore-see the surprise this letter may bring to you.

I AM DR WILLIAMS MENSAH, THE CO-ORDINATOR OF CONTRACT AWARD AND REVIEW COMMITTEE (C.A.& R. C. ) OF GOVERNMENT, IN REPUBLIC OF GHANA , SOMETIME AGO, A CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO A CONGLOMERATE OF FOREIGN COMPANIES BY MY COMMITTEE ON BEHALF OF GOVERNMENT,THE CONTRACT WAS OVER INVOICED TO THE TUNE OF US$3. MILLION

THIS WAS DONE DELIBERATELY, THE OVER INVOICING WAS A DEAL BY MEMBERS OF MY COMMITTEE TO BENEFIT FROM THE PROJECT, I NOW DESIRE TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY WHICH IS PRESENTLY IN A ESCROW ACCOUNT OF THE ABOVE COMMITTEE IN THE DEBT RECONCILIATION COMMITEE(DRC) INTO AN OVERSEAS ACCOUNT WHICH WE EXPECT YOU TO PROVIDE FOR US.

BENEFITS:

FOR PROVIDING THE ACCOUNT WHERE THE MONEY SHALL BE REMIT, YOU WILL BE ENTITLED TO REDUCT $500,000.00 UNITED STATE DOLLARS OF THE MONEY AS YOUR BENEFIT,THE REMAINING ONE WILL BE FOR ME,WHILE $50,000.00 HAS BEEN MAPPED OUT FROM THE TOTAL SUM TO COVER ANY EXPENSES THAT MAYBE INCURRED BY BOTH OF US DURING THE COURSE OF THIS TRANSACTION, BOTH INTERNET CHARGES AND INTERNATIONAL CALLS (PLEASE RECORD YOURS).
I WOULD REQUIRE:

A. NAME AND ADDRESS OF COMPANY/BENEFICIARY AND INFORMATION (THAT YOU HAVE 100% CONTROL OVER). THE ABOVE INFORMATION WOULD BE USED TO MAKE FORMAL APPLICATIONS AS A MATTER OF PROCEDURE FOR THE RELEASE
OF THE MONEY FOR ON WARD TRANSFER TO YOUR ACCOUNT.
IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER OR NOT YOUR COMPANY OR YOU PERFORMED CONTRACT PROJECTS OF THE NATURE DESCRIBED HERE, THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT YOU WON A MAJOR CONTRACT AND SUB-CONTRACTED OUT TO OTHER COMPANIES.
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, BIG TRADING COMPANIES OR INDIVIDUALS OF UNRELATED FIELD WIN MAJOR CONTRACTS AND SUB-CONTRACTS IT OUT TO MORE SPECIALISED FIRMS FOR EXECUTION OF SUCH CONTRACTS.

WE HAVE STRONG AND RELIABLE CONNECTIONS AND CONTACTS AT THE DEBT RECONCILIATION COMMITEE(DRC) AND THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (TMF) AND WE HAVE NO DOUBTS THAT ALL THIS. MONEY WILL BE RELEASE AND TRANSFER IF WE GET THE NECESSARY FOREIGN PERSON IN THIS DEAL. THEREFORE, WHEN THE BUSINESS IS SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED, WE SHALL THROUGH OUR SAME CONNECTIONS WITHDRAW ALL DOCUMENTS USED FROM ALL THE CONCERNED GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES FOR ME PARTICULARLY TO SUBMIT MY APPLICATION FOR RESIGNATION FROM CIVIL SERVICE.

I WANT THIS MONEY TO BE TRANSFERED TO THE OVERSEAS ACCOUNT WHICH YOU ARE GOING TO PROVIDE FOR SAFE KEEPING PENDING WHEN I WILL DETERMINE HOW WE WANT OUR PORTION OF THE MONEY,ALL EXPENSES REGARDING THE ACCOUNT OPENING IF NOT ALREADY IN EXISTENCE SHALL BE BORNE BY YOU, ALL EXPENSES ARE HOWEVER REIMBURSEABLE AS ALREADY STATED ABOVE ON CONCLUSION OF BUSINESS.

PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR READNESS WITH ME BEFORE GIVEN YOU THE BANK CONTACT ADDRESS,ACCOUNT NAME AND NUMBER WHERE THE MONEY WAS DEPOSITED.SO THAT YOU CONTACT THEM FOR THE RELEASE OF THIS FUND.
IF YOU ARE NOT, IT WILL ENABLE ME SCOUT FOR ANOTHER FOREIGN PARTNER TO CARRY OUT THIS DEAL. I WILL SEND YOU MY PHONE NUMBER,RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS,A COPY OF MY INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT AND OTHER PERSONAL DATA.PLEASE KEEP THIS AWAY FROM ANY OF OUR WORKERS HERE.

FOR MORE DETAILS ON THIS BUSINESS,CALL +233-243-10-791 MR WILLIAMS OR MAIL ME ON williams_mensah@walla.com

I AWAIT IN ANTICIPATION FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,
DR WILLIAMS MENSAH

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam