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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "top of the day to you" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "MUSA MAMODOU" <alhaji_musa@walla.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: musa_mamodou2000@yahoo.ca
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 11:11:42 +0200
Subject: BUSINESS OFFER

DEAR SIR,
TOP OF THE DAY TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY? I HOPE YOU ARE OK.
YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHERE I GOT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, BUT BELIEVE ME THAT IT IS THE DOING OF THE GREAT ALLAH. MY NAME IS ALHAJI MUSA MAMODOU (JNR), I AM THE ONLY SURVIVING SON OF LATE MAYOR MUSA MAMODOU WHO WAS A POPULAR GOLD AND DIAMOND DEALER IN SIERRA LEONE. MY LATE FATHER WAS KILLED DURING THE WAR BY THE REBEL LEADER (FODEY SONKOR). I WAS A STUDENT THEN IN SIERRA LEONE WHEN THIS OCCURED AND BY THE GRACE OF ALLAH, I WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE THE HIT AND RUN TO THE GAMBIA AND FROM THE GAMBIA I ENTER SENEGAL WHERE I AM SICKING ASSYLUM TILL DATE UNDER THE CARE OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
BEFORE I DEPART FROM SIERRA LEOEN, I HAVE SOME GOLD AND DIAMONDS WHICH MY DAD GAVE TO ME BEFORE HIS DEATH AND I DEPOSITED THEM NOW IN A SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN SENEGAL. MY FATHER ALONGSIDE WITH MY MOTHER AND MY ONLY BROTHER WAS KILLED DURING THE WAR, I WAS LEFT ALONE AND I AM THE ONLY SURVIVAL SON OF LATE MAYOR MUSA MAMODOU. SINCE THEN, I HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER THE CARE OF THE UNITED NATIONS. I HAVE BEEN KEEPING THIS SECRET TO MYSELF BECAUSE I DONT WANT TO LOOSE THE GOODS. THEY ARE MY FINAL HOPE. NOW I HAVE DECIDED TO SEARCH FOR A GENIUNE AND REPUTABLE COMPANY ABROAD WHO CAN HELP ME TO TRANSFER THIS GOLD AND DIAMOND OUT OF AFRICA FOR DISPOSAL. ALSO BRING ME OVER TO THE COUNTRY WHERE I CAN SETTLE DOWN TO FINISH MY EDUCATION AS A MEDICAL DOCTOR.
THIS IS WHERE YOU CAME IN. I KNEW THAT GOLD AND DIAMOND ARE VERY EXPENSIVE IN YOUR COUNTRY SO I DECIDED FOR BOTH OF US TO DO THE BUSINESS TOGETHER. UPON YOUR ACCEPTANCE TO ASSIST ME IN THIS REGARDS, WE CAN SIGN AGREEMENT FOR THE WORKING PROCEDURES AND ALSO I WILL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTION. I HAVE SOME DOCUMENTS FOR THE DEPOSIT FROM THE SECURITY COMPANY AND ALSO FROM THE GOVERNMENT IN SIERRA LEONE FOR THE EXPORT.
I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
YOURS SINCERELY,
ALHAJI MUSA MAMODOU

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam