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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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.

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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (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)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +22993205349 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • terrykkufo@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "terry kufo" <tery_kufo29@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: tery_kufo@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2007 08:47:26 +0100
Subject: Get back to me

FROM THE DESK OF Mr,TERRY KUFO
BANK OF AFRICAN BENIN
Rue du Gouverneur Bayol Cotonou
Télex : 539 Bank Of African
PHONE# +229-93205349
E-Mail: terrykkufo@yahoo.fr


RE:Bussiness Proposal.

In order to transfer out (11.6million US Dollars)from BANK OF AFRICAN .
I have the courage to ask for your assistance to handle this important and
confidential business believing that you will never let me down either now
or in future.

I am MR, TERRY KUFO the auditor of BANK OF AFRICAN BENIN. There is an
account opened in this bank in 2002 and since then nobody has operated on
this account again. After going through some old files in the records, I
discovered that if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be
forfeited for nothing.

The owner of this account is Mr.DESTIN PAL, a foreigner, and a miner at D &
D INVESTMENT CO., a geologist! by profession and he died since 2003. No
other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the
account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well
that this company does not know anything about this account and the amount
involved is (11.6million US Dollars) I want to transfer the [11.6M.USD]
into a safe foreigners account abroad , but I don't know any foreigner,

I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be
approved to a local bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign
account because the money is in us dollars and the former owner of the
account is Mr.DESTIN PAL is a foreigner too. I know that this message will
come to you as a surprise as we don’t know our selves before,but be asure
that it is real and a genuine business and by GOD's grace we are going to
enjoy our selves with this business and also i want you to know that You are
the only person that I have contacted in this business, so please reply
urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take urgently. Send also
your private telephone and fax number including the full details of the
account to be used for the deposit.

I want us to meet face to face or sign a binding agreement to bind us
together so that you can receive this money into a foreign account or any
account of your choice where the fund will be safe. I will fly to your
country for withdrawal and sharing and also to invest the fund if we would
like to go into partnership investments.

I am contacting you because of the need to involve a foreigner with foreign
account and foreign beneficiary.

I need your full co-operation to make this work fine because the management
is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct
information about this account, which I will give to you,if you are able
and with capability to handle such amount in strict confidence and trust
according to my instructions and advice for our mutual benefit because this
opportunity will never come again in my life.

I need truthful person in this business because I don't want to make mistake
I need your strong assurance and trust because with my position now in the
office I can transfer this money to anyforeign reliable account, which you
can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending my
physical arrival in your country for sharing.

And i want to remind you that your share has been carculated at 35% of the
total sum. may God be with you and grant you favour in all your endevours
as i wait for your urgent reply.

you can contact me immediately through my personal email address
(terrykkufo@yahoo.fr)

Best Regards,
Mr, TERRY KUFO
Pls Call me for more information 00229 93205349

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam