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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • ",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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Koffi Mensah" <koffi_mensah1965@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: koffimensah1965@aol.com
Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 15:25:35 -0800
Subject: Offer from Koffi Mensah

Dear Friend,

How are you doing today? Allow me this time to introduce myself to you as Mr. Koffi Mensah, the Deputy Minister of Finance, of the Republic of Ghana. I knew this mail will come to you as one of those numerous scam mails over the internet, but believe me, this is no way related to scam or whatsoever but this is a proposal that will benefit you and I.

As I have made known to you in the previous paragraph, I am the Deputy Minister of Finance and also working as the President’s Adviser on Special Matters here in Ghana. On the 22nd of July, 2005, the president authorized me to make a deposit of some treasure boxes in a bank here in Ghana which I did and hand over the receipt of deposit to him after the deposit.

I do not know the contents of these boxes. On the 29th of October, 2007, he called me in his office and informed me that we will be retrieving the boxes from the bank, reason is because by February, 2008, another President will take over the ruler ship of Ghana and he will be forced to declare all his assets which will include the deposited Treasure Boxes. He has made known to me the contents of the 5 Treasure Boxes. The boxes are said to contain US$150,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Million United States Dollars) and 10 Kilograms of Rough/Uncut Diamonds (several sizes, shapes and colors). This is where you come in.

He has asked me to solicit the assistance of a foreign company or individual whom we can present as the owner of these boxes. He will make claims of these boxes, take them to you country and we will meet you up in your country after the next year election for disposal of the items including the cash. He has agreed to compensate you with 25% of the total cash and assets while 5% will be set aside to forfeit any expenses that we might incure during the course of this transaction and the remaining 70% will be for us.

Sir, if you are interested in this business, there are several policies we will require from you, which amongst them all are:

1. Sincerity
2. Confidential
3. Honest
4. Open minded

These are the policies we require from you and I am promising you that with God by our side, we will succeed in our plans. Note that this transaction is 100% risk free and legal. You have nothing to fear about. I will wait to hear from you as soon as possible.

Thanks

Regards

Mr. Koffi Mensah
Deputy Minister for Finance
Government of the Ghana
Accra – Ghana

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam