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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "DR HABIB GHAZI" <dr_habibghazi_05@ig.com.br>
Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2008 15:47:19 -0700
Subject: Greetings from Dr.Habib Ghazi


Dear Sir / Ceo ,
(CONFIDENTIAL)
I can't imagine how you will feel receiving a sudden business letter from a
remote country in far away Benin Republic west africa and probably from some
one you have not closely related with. but all the same, i belive we do not
need to be of blood relatives before we can establish cordial/Business
relationship. having said this, i think it is very important at this
juncture to introduce myself to you.

I am Dr.Habib Ghazi Senior Accountant & the Auditor General Manager of BANK
OF AFRICA, of the Federal Republic of Benin. I work with BANK OF AFRICA in
Cotonou Benin Rep. It is my wish to solicite your assistance in a business
opportunity that will be benefited for you and I.

During our investigation and Auditing in my Bank, in my department I came
across an abandoned sum of money ( Twenty Ffive Million One Hundred Thousand
US Dollars) In an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer late
MRS.F. A Shafiq , a citizen of Lebanon who died along with her entire
family.

I wish to know if we can work together. I would like you to stand as her
Next of Kin to a Fixed Deposit of US$25.1M which she made to our Bank. She
died and left nobody behind as her Next of Kin.

Please get back to me through my private email address below , If you are
interested to know much about this transaction : dr.habibghazi01@live.com

Dr.Habib Ghazi.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam