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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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)
  • "huge sum of money" (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)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +22997494213 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "tochi Johnson" <tochijohnson@klikni.cz>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 13:49:31 +0100
Subject: REPLY/CALL ME ON +229-974-94213


FROM THE DESK OF MR. TOCHI JOHNSON
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT.
BANK OF AFRICA (BOA)
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC
PHONE: +229-974-94-213

(CONFIDENTIAL)

I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW YOU WILL FEEL RECEIVING A SUDDEN BUSINESS LETTER FROM A
REMOTE COUNTRY IN FAR AWAY COTONOU BENIN WEST AFRICA AND PROBABLY FROM SOME
ONE YOU HAVE NOT CLOSELY RELATED WITH. BUT ALL THE SAME, I BELIEVE WE DO NOT
NEED TO BE OF BLOOD RELATIVES BEFORE WE CAN ESTABLISH CORDIAL/BUSINESS
RELATIONSHIP. HAVING SAID THIS, I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AT THIS
JUNCTURE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU.

I AM.MR. TOCHI JOHNSON THE DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING
SECTION OF BANQUE DE L'HABITAT AU BURKINA FASO (BHBF) OUAGADOUGOU
BURKINA-FASO WEST AFRICA. IT IS MY PLEASURE TO SOLICIT YOUR ASSISTANCE IN
THIS BUSINESS PROPOSAL. I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE, I DO NOT WANT TO
TRANSACT THE BUSINESS WITH ANYBODY WHO IS KNOWN TO ANY STAFF OF THIS BANK OR
ANYBODY AROUND HERE TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE BLACKMAIL OR LEAKAGE AT THE END OF
THE TRANSACTION.

THE PROPOSAL:

DURING OUR INVESTIGATION AND AUDITING IN THIS BANK, MY DEPARTMENT CAME
ACROSS A VERY HUGE SUM OF MONEY BELONGING TO A DECEASED PERSON WHO DIED IN A
PLANE CRASH AND THE FUND HAS BEEN DORMANT IN HIS ACCOUNT WITH THIS BANK
WITHOUT ANY CLAIM OF THE FUND IN OUR CUSTODY EITHER FROM HIS FAMILY OR
RELATION BEFORE OUR DISCOVERY TO THIS DEVELOPMENT.THE SAID AMOUNT WAS U.S
$5.5M ( FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) AS IT MAY
INTEREST YOU TO KNOW,

MEANWHILE ALL THE WHOLE ARRANGEMENT TO PUT CLAIM OVER THIS FUND AS THE
BONAFIDE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED, GET THE REQUIRED APPROVAL AND TRANSFER
THIS MONEY TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE AND DIRECTIVES AND
NEEDED INFORMATION WILL BE RELAYED TO YOU AS SOON AS YOU INDICATE YOUR
INTEREST AND WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST US AND ALSO BENEFIT YOUR SELF TO THIS
GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. IN FACT I COULD HAVE DONE THIS DEAL ALONE BUT
BECAUSE OF MY POSITION IN THIS COUNTRY AS A CIVIL SERVANT(A BANKER )WE ARE
NOT ALLOWED TO OPPERATE A FOREIGN ACCOUNT AND WOULD EVENTUALLY RAISE AN EYE
BROW ON MY SIDE DURING THE TIME OF TRANSFER BECAUSE I WORK IN THIS BANK.

THIS IS THE ACTUAL REASON WHY IT WILL REQUIRE A SECOND PARTY OR FELLOW WHO
WILL FORWARD CLAIMS AS THE NEXT OF KIN WITH AFFIDAVIT OF TRUST OF OATH TO
THE BANK AND ALSO PRESENT A FOREIGN ACCOUNT WHERE HE WILL NEED THE MONEY TO
BE RE-TRANSFERRED INTO ON HIS REQUEST AS IT MAY BE AFTER DUE VERIFICATION
AND CLARIFICATION BY THE CORRESPONDENT BRANCH OF THE BANK WHERE THE WHOLE
MONEY WILL BE REMITTED FROM TO YOUR OWN DESIGNATION BANK ACCOUNT.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO INFORM YOU THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE. ON
SMOOTH CONCLUSION OF THIS TRANSACTION, YOU WILL BE ENTITLED TO 40% OF THE
TOTAL SUM AS GRATIFICATION, WHILE 5% WILL BE SET ASIDE TO TAKE CARE OF
EXPENSES THAT MAY ARISE DURING THE TIME OF TRANSFER AND ALSO TELEPHONE
BILLS, WHILE 55% WILL BE FOR ME AND MY PARTNER. PLEASE, YOU HAVE BEEN
ADVICED TO KEEP "TOP SECRET" AS I AM STILL IN SERVICE AND INTEND TO RETIRE
FROM SERVICE AFTER WE CONCLUDE THIS DEAL WITH YOU.

I WILL BE MONITORING THE WHOLE SITUATION HERE IN THIS BANK UNTIL YOU CONFIRM
THE MONEY IN YOUR ACCOUNT AND ASK ME TO COME DOWN TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR
SUBSEQUENT SHARING OF THE FUND ACCORDING TO PERCENTAGES PREVIOUSLY INDICATED
AND FURTHER INVESTMENT, EITHER IN YOUR COUNTRY OR ANY COUNTRY YOU ADVICE US
TO INVEST IN. ALL OTHER NECESSARY VITAL INFORMATION WILL BE SENT TO YOU WHEN
I HEAR FROM YOU. YOU CAN CALL ME ON MY DIRECT MOBILE NUMBER: PHONE:
+229-974-94-213 I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVE YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,
MR.TOCHI JOHNSON

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam