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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a reliable and reputable person to handle this" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• 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.
  • john_osei@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. John Osei" <john_osei@hotmail.com> (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 02:56:40 -0800
Subject: From the Desk of Mr.John Osei,

>From the Desk of Mr.John Osei,
Manager, International Commercial Bank,
Takoradi Ghana.
Good day,
I hope this may not constitute sort of embarrassment to you, first
I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue
of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. But I am
assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. I have decided
to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction, as I wish to rely
on your discreteness and ability in transaction of this nature. Let me
start by introducing my self properly to you, my name is Mr.John Osei,
I am the regional bank manager of the International Commercial Bank
of Ghana.
I came to know about you in my Private Search for a reliable and
reputable person to handle this Confidential Transaction. I am 44years of
age and married with 3 lovely kids. It may interest you to hear that I
am a man of PEACE and INTERGRITY; I only hope we can assist each other.
I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit both of
us, as the regional Auditor General of the International Commercial
Bank; it is my duty to send in a financial report to my head office in the
capital city Accra at the end of each year. On the course of the year
2004 end of year report, I discovered that an excess profit of four
million five hundred and fifty thousand dollars
[USDollars$4,550,000.00] which my head office are not aware of and will never be aware of. I have since placed this fund on what we call SUSPENSE ACCOUNT without any beneficiary.
As an officer of the bank I can not be directly connected to this
money, this is why I am contacting you for us to work so that you can
assist and receive this money into your bank account for us to SHARE.The
sharing of the fund is thus: 45% for you 45% for me and the remaining
10% for any Tax or Vat expenses incurred in this transaction.
Note that there are practically no risks involved in this
transaction as it is 100% risk free and legally bonded, it will be bank to bank
transfer, all I need from you is to stand claim as the original
depositor of this fund who made the deposit with Takoradi branch so that my
Head office can order the transfer to your designated bank account. If you
accept this offer to work with me, if you find this proposal suitable
for you, do furnish me with the following information. Your full Name
and Contact Address, Your private telephone Number, Your Age, Your
Occupation and Position.
I will appreciate it very much, If this proposal is acceptable by
you, do not make undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed on you,and
I assure you we can achieve it successfully.
You can also reach me on my alternative email:john_osei@myway.com
Best regards,
Mr.John Osei.
Telephone:00233244171833

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam