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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "a reliable and reputable person to handle this" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. JOHN ABBEY" <mr.john_abbeyinfo018@gala.net>
Reply-To: mr.johnabbeyremmg@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:27:46 +0100
Subject: MAY THE GOOD LORD BE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.


*THE REGIONAL BRANCH MANAGER
STANDARD CHARTERED BANK OF GHANA,
ACCRA GHANA.
TELE: +233-245-230-416

Dear Friend

My name is Mr. John Abbey I am the regional manager of Standard Chartered
Bank of Ghana Takoradi branch in the western region of Ghana. I came to know
you in my Private Search for a reliable and reputable person to handle this
confidential transaction. I write you this proposal in good faith; I am 46
years old married with four children. I am a devoted Christian and a man of
peace.

I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and me, as the
regional manager of the Standard Chartered Bank it is my duty to send in a
financial report to my head office in the capital city Accra at the end of
each business year. On the course of 2007 business report, I discovered
that my branch in which I am the manager made Four million Six hundred and
fifty thousand united state dollars ($4,650,000.00) which my head office
are not aware of and will never be aware of. I have placed this funds on
what we call escrow call account with no beneficiary. As an officer of this
bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, so my aim of contacting
you is to assist me receive this money in your bank account and get 30% of
the total funds as commission.

There are practically no risks involved, it will be a bank-to-bank transfer
and all I need from you is to stand and claim as the original depositor of
these funds as who made the deposit with my branch so that my head office
can order the transfer to your designated bank account. If you accept this
offer to work with me, and you find this proposal Suitable for you do
furnish me with the following information.

Full
Name

Contact
Address

Private Telephone
Number

Age

Occupation and
Position

I will appreciate it very much, If this proposal is acceptable by you, do
not make undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed on you, and I assure
you we can achieve it successfully.

You can call me on my Personal Telephone number: +233-245-230-416 for more
comprehensive discussion. So we can go over the details.

Thank you in advance and May God bless you and your family.

Yours truly,
Mr. John Abbey.
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam