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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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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 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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • 233242309850

Fraud email example:

From: "john mensah" <akuatuekwu@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 02:39:16 +0100
Subject: Business Proposal


Barrister John Mensah
John Mensah & Associates,
Solicitors and advocates of the supreme court
Organizational representatives and notary public,
Accredited bank attorneys.
3rd Floor, Kojo Bruce House,Okai Mensah Link,
Adabraka Accra Ghana.
Tel: 233-242-309850
Fax: 233-28-765456

Good Day,

I got your contact information from a reliable sources and i decided to
contact you.I am barrister John Mensah, a resident ecowas bank attorney
with office in Ghana West Africa.

I am writing this message to you having gone through exhaustive enquiries
about a certain businessman, A Korean citizen by name Mr.Moon Younghwan, who
died in Korean Air Flight 801, which crashed in Guam on Wednesday, 1997 as
you can confirm from the web news below;

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list/

Late Mr.Moon Younghwan was resident in Ghana West Africa for several years
before his death. Late Mr.Moon Younghwan owned a small gold mining business
in Obuase in Asante region of Ghana(Moon Younghwan Gold Minning Company
Ghana Ltd) and he operated an account with a bank here in Ghana and the
amount in the account is valued at Fifteen Million Dollars($15,000,000
million USD)

I have been mandated by the authority of this bank to help them by locating
a relation or possible next of kin to this dead customer who will inherit
this account as a next of kin. I had resorted to different means of getting
at any relation or possible next of kin but having not found any person that
matched my search criteria and I am supposed to report back to the bank for
the deposit account records to be liquidated as I have found no one, I now
have plans to present you as you share the same country of origin with this
late bank customer.

We will share this money in the ratio of 50:50,it will be my responsibility
to declare this and you need not worry as this money will be legally paid
out to you and no one will ever know about this as long as you keep this
mail and its contents confidential. I would require your friendship and
sincere cooperation . I await your quick response.

Yours faithfully,
Barrister John Mensah (Esq.)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam