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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:
  • "escrow account with no beneficiary" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million us 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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "kofi_primpong@terra.es" <kofi_primpong@terra.es>
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 03:45:22 +0200 (MEST)
Subject: HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.


Dear Sir,

My name is KOFI PRIMPONG, the Western Regional Manager of the International Commercial Bank, Takoradi, Ghana.

As the regional manager of the bank, it is my duty to submit annual financial report to my head office in the capital city - Accra at the end of each business/financial year.

In the course of preparing the 2005 business report, our auditor and I discovered an unusually excess profit of Ten Million US Dollars ($10,000,000.00M), which my head office is not, and will never be aware of. We immediately placed this sum in an escrow account with no beneficiary entitled to it.

As an officer of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this money; my aim is to find somebody who would agree to assist us receive this money in his/her bank account; he/she will get 30% of the total sum as commission for his assistance.

It will be a bank-to-bank transfer, all you need to do, is to stand in as the beneficiary to this fund; my office will transfer this amount into any bank account that you shall provide. It will take just 7 working days to conclude.

I will appreciate it very much if you think we can work together, I will provide you with further details once I hear from you.

Yours Sincerely

Mr.KOFI PRIMPONG






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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam