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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "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: william mensah <williammensah_3@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 15:28:13 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Dear Sir,

I have a proposal for you - this however is not mandatory nor will I in any
manner compel you to honor against your will. I have to introduce myself first; my name is Mr.WILLIAM MENSAH .banker working with one of the leading banks in West Africa. In this bank existed a dormant account for the past 8 years, which belong to a Syria national who is now late. When we discovered that there had been no deposits nor withdrawals from this account for this long period, I and my two other colleagues decided to carry out a system investigation and discovered that non of the family member nor relations of the late Syrian is aware of this account. This is the story in a nutshell. Now we want an account overseas where we can transfer these funds. Thereafter, we had planned to destroy all related documents for this account. It is a careful network and for the past eleven months we have worked out everything to ensure a hitch-free operation.The amount is not so much at the moment and plus all the accumulated interest the balance in this account stands at US$52
million US dollars. Now our questions are: - 1.Can you handle this project? 2.Can we give you this trust? 3.What will be your commission? Consider this and get back at us as soon as possible. Finally, it is our humble prayer that the information as contained here in is accorded the necessary attention, urgency as well as the secrecy it deserves. I hope my mail did not come as an embarrassment to you, but if it does please kindly accept my apologies.

Thanks in anticipation.

Respectfully yours,
Mr WILLIAM MENSAH
(Ghana West Africa


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam