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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
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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:
  • "confidentiality of this transaction" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +22508904744 (Cote d'Ivoire, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • misscymaa@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: cynthia7@fastwebmail.it
Reply-To: misscymaa@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 05:46:33 +0000
Subject: From Ms.Cynthia Mamadou


From Ms.Cynthia Mamadou
20 Rue Avenue, Bouake,
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Tel; +225 08 90 47 44
Email; misscymaa@hotmail.com

Dear Respectful One,

My name is cynthia Mamadou, i am 20years and i am from from Sierra Leone. i
am an orphan being that i lost my mother at a very tender age and my father
Dr. Kabilla Mamadou who was serving as director of the Cocoa exporting board
in Abidjan, Ivory Coast until his death . He died on the 12th October (2006)
by some undisclosed people who i greatly suspect to be his business
associates through food poison .Before the death of my father, he deposited
the sum of $8M USA Dollars in a Finance House here in Abidjan Cote D Ivoire.

Because of the hostile behaviour of my fathers brothers and there constant
threats to kill me, i had to run away and it was on these situation that i
contacted you. My father's brothers have taken my father's car and our
houses and because they are my elders, there was nothing i could do than to
run for my dear life because i did not want them to also take the fund
deposit documents .i decided to make haste to see that these money is
transferred to your account in your country so that i can leave these
country before something bad happens to me.

I want you to do me a favour to assist me transfer the money to your country
as my Guardian and Investor, and also you will assist me relocate to your
country and continue my education. i have plans to do investment in your
country, like real estate and industrial production.

Please if you are willing to assist me, kindly contact me by replying to my
email to you and give me your full name, address, telephone, fax numbers and
profession, so that i will have more confidence in you and i shall give to
you the contact of the finance house where my father deposited the money and
also the deposit documents. i have mapped out 60% for myself, 25% for your
cordial assistance and 15% for charity homes like the less privileged
because that was the vow i made to God

Please for your good information, this transaction is risk free and prove in
no way connected with any illegal transaction. Please help me out of this
terible situation. Please note that the confidentiality of this transaction
would be highly appreciated. Please reply as soon as possible to my private
email please (misscymaa@hotmail.com) it is very important

Thanks and God bless you as you do everything possible to assist me in this
matter.

Remain blessed
Cynthia Mamadou

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam