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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:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "million united states 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)
  • "abidjan" (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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?M=E9lissa=20Kouam=E9?= <melikouame@yahoo.fr>
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 20:13:58 +0100 (CET)
Subject: MELISSA KOUAME


Dear
Glad you responded and its content well understood.
As a matter of factly, i did be very precise this time for it took me time to compose the last mail in french but all things being equal, it is still the same content.
I lost my late mother while i was very young and my father on August 2002. My father late Mr HENRY KOUAME was a cocoa and coffe dealer and a great one that got poisoned by his associates due to his tremendeous increament in there business line and that was during a conference about there affaires.
But before his tragic death, he disclosed to me about a certain deposit he made with a security company here in abidjan cote d'ivoire in disguise as family valuable worth the sum of $12,000,000.00 (Twelve million united states dollars), while the original content is liquid cash. He made this deposit in favour of a foreign partner (that never existed), but for the safety and security of the money in the consignment.
Now, i want you to assume the position of his foreign partner as to enable the company release the consignment o after, after having gone through with there requirements as the director made me understand.
The requirements for your recognitional introduction to the security company are your contact telephone and fax numbers, contact address, full name, state of origin, nationality and occupation. Upon the receipt of these information, i will go for the introduction and later update you, based on the out come of my discussion with the company's director.
I will await your earliest response and remain blessed as you come to my aid.
Yours sincerely,



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam