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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",500,000" (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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "thomasfro Gazeta.pl" <thomasfro@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: continentbank@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:40:24 +0000
Subject: I Await Your Timely Reply


From: Mr. Thomas Ofori
Manager International
Commercial Bank Ghana,
First Light, Kaneshi Branch.

Dear Friend, Please I got your contact from my bank global email addresses
catalogue for 2008 and I believed you are an honest person and also trust
worthy to entrust this
transfer with.

My name is Thomas Ofori. I am the manager of the International Commercial
Bank Ghana, First Light, Kaneshi Branch. I am a Ghanaian, married with two
kids.

I am writing to solicit your assistance in the transfer of US
$3,500,000.00.. This fund is the excess profit of what my branch in which I
am the manager made as profit during the last bank financial year. I have
already submitted an approved end of the year financial report for the year
2007 to my Head office here in Accra and they will never know of this
excess. I have since then, placed this fund on a suspense Account Without a
beneficiary.

As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money thus
I am impelled to request for your assistance to receive this money into your
bank account. I intend to part 40% of this fund to you while 60% shall be
for me. I do need to stress that there are practically no risk involved in
this. It's going to be a bank-to-bank transfer. All I need from you is to
stand as the original depositor of this fund.

If you accept this offer, Please I will appreciate your timely response..

Thank you.

With regards,
Mr. Thomas Ofori.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam