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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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.

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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:
  • "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.
  • d_tetteh06@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr. Douglas Tetteh" <dtetteh02@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2006 15:58:42 +0000
Subject: From Chairman, C.A.C.E.C

From Dr. Douglas Tetteh
Chairman, C.A.C.E.C
West Africa.

Sir,
May I use this golden opportunity to introduce myself to you, I'm Dr.Douglas Tetteh, the chairman, contract awarding and tender committee of economic community of West-African states with sub-head in Accra Ghana.

I decided to contact you through this medium due to my condition.The situation at hand is what I need to discuss with you, (US$14,500.000.00 = fourteen million five hundred thousand united state dollars) is in my possession right now and I wish to transfer this said funds into your personal or company account, what did you offer?. Having come across your contact information on Internet I made up mind to contact you withou delay.

This funds is 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 but base on the law and ethics of our service to Ecowas, we as civil servants are not allowed to operate a foreign account.

I’m soliciting for your assist both in thinking of a profitable investment, I will offer you 20%, 75% for me, while 5% is set aside to reimburse expenses incurred in the project. Confidential nature of this project is highly necessary as disclosing it might jeopardize our success. There is no risk involved. Urgently get back to me with your particular for immediate process.
Best regards,
Dr. Douglas Tetteh
Email: d_tetteh06@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam