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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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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "federal republic of benin"
• 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)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +22997680786 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • richardguei2004@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "richard guei" <richardguei2004@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 20:58:32 +0000
Subject: Assistance/Investment.

FROM DR. RICHARD
DIRECTOR INCHARGE OF
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT,
BANQUE DU GOTHARD
COTONOU-BENIN REPUBLIC
TELEPHONE 00229-97-68-07-86

DEAREST
Pleasure writing to you at this moment of the day, I am DR. Richard, the
director incharge of auditing and accounting Unit of BANQUE DU GOTHARD in
Cotonou-Benin Republic. I and my colleagues deem it fit to contact you
regarding to a transaction that will favour both of us at the end, and i got
your contact in my search for a reputable and reliable person to help me
claim the fund in question.

We discovered the sum of eight million one hundred thousand United States
Dollars (USD8.1M) belonging to a deceased customer of this bank. The fund
has been lying in a suspence account without anybody coming to put claim
over the money since the account owner late Mr. Mohamed Mohd from libanon,
who was involved in the December 25th Benin plane crash. Here is the air
crash website=
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html
The said fund is now ready for transfer to a foriegn account whose owner
will be portrayed as the beneficiary and next of kin to the deceased
customer of the bank.

The foriegn account owner will impost himself as the next of kin to the
deceased and respond positively like a true next of kin who wishes to speed
up the release and transfer of his inherited fund. If the over due fund if
not claimed by the end of next quarter, the government of the Federal
Republic of Benin will take over the ownership of the fund in line with the
Federal Edict Act of 1979. We do not want the government to take over the
ownership of this money, that is why I contacted you for us to do the deal
together, so that we will portray you as the bonafide next of kin to the
deceased whose name is Mr. Mohamed mohd.

If you accept to carry out this project with us, we will offer you 30% of
the total sum, while I and my colleagues involved will take 70% of the total
sum. Upon your acceptance to do this deal with us, we will jointly effect
the transfer within eight working days.

Be rest assured that, this transaction carries no risk and no extra
responssibilities on your part, except the above mentioned roles and
normally you will be required to maintain absolute information and
absolute secrecy throughout the duration of this transaction, because
discussing it with a third party might jeopardise the entire transaction.

I am looking forward to receiving your interesting response on this project
as this will greatly enrich the both of us at the end. please You may
contact me through my private email:
richardguei2004@hotmail.com
BEST REGARDS,
DR Richard

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam