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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned 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.
  • frankmensah@email2me.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr. Frank Mensah" <frankmensah@katamail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: frankmensah2006@katamail.com
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 04:33:44 -0700
Subject: Urgent: I am..

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Dr. Frank Mensah, the Chairman, Contract Awarding
and Tender Committee of Economic Community of West African states with
sub-head in Accra Ghana.

I wish to transfer the sum of (Fifteen million united
State dollars) US$15,000,000.00
to your personal or Company Account. This fund
originated from over invoiced Contract
bills I awarded for the supply of Food and Medical
Equipment to the Ecomog peacekeeping
mission during Liberia and sierra-Leone civil wars.

This over Invoiced sum was deliberately hatched out
and carefully protected with all
attendant lope holes Sealed off. The original
executors of the contracts have been paid
through Eco Bank. This over invoiced sum is suspended
in an escrow account awaiting
claims by any foreign person/company I may front as
the owner.

Based On the law and ethics of our service to ECOWAS,
we as Civil servants are not
allowed to operate a foreign Account.I offer you 20%,
75% for me, while 5% is set aside
to reimburse expenses incurred in the project.I expect
you to keep this project very
confidential as disclosing it might jeopardize our
success. There is no risk involved.

Call me for more details on the procedure via my
mobile line, +233-243 70 70 89

Best regards,

Dr. Frank Mensah
E-mail: frankmensah@email2me.net

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam