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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:
  • "million 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)
• 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.
  • mr.tonyowusu48@yahoo.com.ph (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Tony" <mr.tony_owusu@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: mr.tonyowusu48@yahoo.com.ph
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:39:05 +0300
Subject: Hello...From Mr. Tony


*GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK LTD
GCB HEADQUARTER CIRCLE ACCRA GHANA
Email: mr.tonyowusu48@yahoo.com.ph

HELLO,

I got your contact during my search for a reliable, honest and a trust worth
person to entrust this huge transfer project with.

My name is Mr. Tony Owusu. Branch manager of a financial institution here in
Ghana, I am a Ghanaian married with two kids. I am writing to solicit your
assistance in the transfer of $ 12.8 Million United States dollars only.

This fund is the excess of what my branch in which am the manager made as
profit during the 2006 financial year. I have already submitted annual
report for that year to my head office here in Accra as I have watched with
keen interest as they will never know of this excess.

I have since, placed this amount of $ 12.8 Million United States dollars
only to an Escrow Coded account without a beneficiary (anonymous) to avoid
trace.

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 on my behalf. I intend to part 30% of this fund to you while
70% 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 so
that the fund can be transferred to your
account. If you accept this offer, I will appreciate your timely response to
my private.

email: mr.tonyowusu48@yahoo.com.ph

With Regards,

Mr. Tony
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam