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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "it will be a bank to bank transfer" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (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: "Alfred Richard" <emailmrrichard3@mailbox.hu>
Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 07:08:57 -0700
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF MR RICHARD ALFRED [ECOBANK]


*
Eco Bank Ghana Ltd.
From the desk of Mr Richard Alfred.
Branch Manager,
Eco Bank Ghana,
Ring Rd
.
Attn: Sir,
My Name is Mr.Richard Alfred I am the regional manager of the
Eco Bank Ring Rd Branch Accra Ghana. I got your information during my
search through the Internet. It may interest you to hear that I am a man of
PEACE and don't want problem, I only hope we can assist each other.

If you don't want this business offer kindly forget it as I will not contact
you again. I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit both of
us. As the regional manager of the Eco Bank of Ghana; it is my duty to send
in a financial report to my head office in the capital city Accra at the end
of fiscal year.

In the course of the year report, I discovered that my branch in which I am
the manager made Five million
seven hundred fifty thousand dollars [5,750.000.00] which my head office is
not aware of and will never be aware of. I have since place this fund on
what we call SUSPENSE ACCOUNT without any
beneficiary.
As an officer of the bank I can not be directly connected to this
money, so this informed my contacting you for us to work so that you can
assist receive this money into your bank account for us to SHARE.

You will have 30% of the total fund .Note there are practically no risks
involved, it will be a bank to bank transfer, all I need from you is to
stand as the original depositor of this fund who made the deposit with our
branch so that my Head office can order the transfer to your designated bank
account.
If you accept this offer to work with me, I will appreciate it very much.
As soon as I receive your response I will detail you on how we can
achieve it successfully.
Best regards,
Mr.Richard Alfred
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam