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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 friend" (a common phrase found 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.
  • ahmedsani172@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "ahmed sani" <ironahmed@aol.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: ahmedsani172@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 17:20:40 +0000
Subject: HOW ARE YOU?

Dear Friend,

My name is Mr Ahmed Sani,Branch Manager of Financia Bank Lome Togo.
I am writing to solicit your urgent assistance in the transfer of
US$45,000.000.00.This funds is the excess of what my Branch in which i am the
Manager made as profit during the Last Year Auditing.I have already
submitted an approved end of the year report for the year 2005 to my
office here in Lome and they will never know of this excess.I placed
this amount of US$45,000.000.00. on a suspence account without a
beneficiary.As an officer of the Bank,i cannot be directly connected to this
money that is why i contacted you to assist in recieving this funds into
any of your Bank account in your country so that both of us can make
use of this funds.

This transaction is going to be a Bank-to-Bank ransfer.All i need from
you is to stand as the original depositor of this funds.If you accept
this offer,i will appreciate you send to me your phone and fax number
immediately through this email address:(ahmedsani172@yahoo.com)so that we can
discuss details about this issue.

Thanks for your understanding and co-operation.

I wait for your prompt response.

Mr.Ahmed Sani

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam