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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "million us 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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • himmahama@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Ibrahim Mahama" <ibrazzi4@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: himmahama@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:08:07 +0100
Subject: A CRY FOR HELP, WRITE ME BACK


From Ibrahim Mahama
Islamic religious center
North Ridge,Accra
Ghana
West Africa.

Dear Sir/Madam

Permit me to inform you that after reading your address in the net. I became
interested in disclosing every thing about
myself to you. I am interested in a long term business relationship with
you.Im Ibrahim the Son of first wife of late Dr Mahama Ahmeds Family,the
former chief accountant to the Sudanese Chamber of commerce , who was
assassinated by the RUF rebels during his visit to our village on April 6
2005.
Unfortunately our mother Mrs Aisha Ahmed died for hypertension one year
later in our country and before then our mother has already advised me and
my younger sister Fatima to look for a foreign partner to transfer this fund
and invest it abroad.We inherited a total sum of 22.5 million us
dollars,from my late beloved father as the next of kin to my family. This
money which is deposited with a Security company here in Accra Ghana under a
special arrangements as deposited on behalf of a foreign
partner.

Now that we are in Ghana and verified the deposited,we need your assistance
to help us move this funds out for investment in your country as we can not
invest here due to its nearness to our country and the war still going on
there .
we ask you to scout for a valuable and lucrative business , so that we can
invest wisely. We have in mind to give you 20% of the total sum of US 22.5
million ,and 10 % for any expenses which you will make in course of this
transaction, fax messages, phone calls.By this mail you are now requested to
arrange on how
we can move the fund quick to your account in your country for investment.
Please Give me your mobile and fax number so that i can send you all the
necessary documents regarding this transaction and
also be able to reach you immediately,please reply privately to this mail
address himmahama@gmail.com

Thanks God Bless you and your Family.

Best Regards
Ibrahim Mahama.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam