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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge sum of money" (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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Douglas" <samuel_kwame@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: samuelkwame1@myway.com
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2006 06:17:53 +0100
Subject: I await your Response

Dear Friend,
With warm heart I offer my friendship greetings,
and I hope this mail meets you in good faith.
However strange or surprising this contact might seem
to you, as we have not met personally or had any
dealings in the past, I humbly ask that you take due
consideration of its importance and immense benefit.
I got your contact through an internet  notebook a few
days ago and decided to contact you after a due search,
for a reliable and capable foreigner that will handle
confidentially a transfer of huge sum of money.You must
have gotten mails like this on your mail box but consider
this and see  for your selfas it will be beneficial to
us only if we are sincere during and after the transaction.
  I am Mr Douglas Owen the personal assistant (Finance)
to the late President Gnassingbe Eyadama of Lome,Togo.
In order to avoid any long meaningless talk, I am
looking for a person who can be TRUSTED to
handle part of the money the late President wanted
to go and deposit in Switzerland three weeks before
he died. The money was kept in a Securities/Investment
Company for safe keeping in Accra-Ghana, with branch offices
in ,Spain,Asia,and London.
As soon as you indicate interest to assist Please email
me back as soon as you receive this mail to enable
me give you further details on the way forward. I will help to ensure
and effect the change of beneficiary of the said
fund to your name via the securities/investments
company to authenticate and legalise this transaction.
I wait for your quick response to my proposal.
I will explain in details after your response to this mail.
See sites bellow for more details.
www.rcnetwork.net
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4239983.stm
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2005/41860.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4281559.stm
NB: we can conclude this deal within one week the fund
transfered to you.
Thank you,
 
Mr Douglas Owen

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam