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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million united state 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Patrick Owusu <pat_owusu61@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <patrick_owusu@excite.co.jp>
Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:52:48 +0000
Subject: From Mr. Owusu




Dear friend,

Compliment of the season to you, Am Mr. Patrick Owusu the regional manager of one of Rural Bank in Ghana, Tamale branch in northern region of Ghana.

Am 47 years old married with two lovely kids. Am a man of peace with harmony and I only hope you can assist me and if you co-operate with me as partner you will never regret I ever contacted you.

I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and I, as regional manger of R.B it is my duty to send auditing report to our bank head office in the capital city Accra-Ghana at the end of each business year. On the course of last year (2006) business report .I discover that my branch in which am the manager made Three million united state dollars (US$3,000,000.00) which our bank head office does not aware of and will never be aware of. Further more in my private investigation before contacting you I discover that this money belong to a pharmaceutical company which was bankrupted over a decade now and I have immediately placed this fund on what we called Escrow Account, an account without any beneficiary information. Therefore as an official in our bank I can not be directly have access to this money.

So my aim of contacting you is to seek for your partnership to assist me receive this money with your bank account and get 40% of the total fund as commission for your understanding and co-operation.

Lastly, it is strictly bank to bank transaction without traveling to any where, all I need from you is to stand claim as the depositor and title holder of this money who made the deposit with my branch where am the manager so that our head office can release the money to your bank account.

I will be very grateful if you accept to team up with me to achieve this fund to our possession.

Kindly call me on +233-249-840830 for voice conversation.

Regards,
Mr. Patrick Owusu

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam