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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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• 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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: Steve Boateng <boateng_s3@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <steveboateng17@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 20:56:40 +0000
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF DR STEVE BOATENG


FROM THE DESK OF DR STEVE BOATENGCHAIRMAN ECOWAS CONTRACT AWARDINGCOMMITTEE ECOWAS FUND HEADQUARTERS P.M.B.5028 ACCRA-REPUBLIC OF GHANA.
Greetings to you.I am Dr. Steve Boateng.The chairman,Contract-Awarding Committee of the Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS) with its fund headquarters in Accra Ghana. I got your information in a professional database when I was searching through Internet for a reliable, honest and trustworthy person to entrust this business with.
We wish to transfer the sum of( USD45,500,000.00) Into yourpersonal or company's bank account.It is however agreed, as the account owner in this deal to allow you 30% of the entire sum as compensation,65% will be held on trust for us while 5% will be used to defray any incidental charges and cost during the course of the transaction.
Please urgency is needed as we do not know the time our organization will start the payment hence it is necessary to start on time to forestall any hitch while transferring the fund into your designated account.
YOUR NAME:OCCUPATION: AGE: PHONE NUMBER:NAME OF
YOUR BANK..
Hoping to hear from you.
Best regards.Dr. Steve Boateng
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam